Color Revival

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COLOR REVIVAL

Understanding the 12 and 16 Seasonal


Color Analysis System

Discover your natural palette of colors and harmonize your


color choices for clothes, makeup, hair color and
accessories. Save time and money. Always look your best!

Lora Alexander

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Copyright © (2012)
Lora Alexander
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright
owner and the publisher of the book.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the
permission of the author is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized printed or electronic
editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the
author's rights is appreciated.

Please note: Due to differences in printing methods, some


colors may appear darker or lighter in this book than intended.
Particularly with the color palettes section, it is best to follow
the names rather than the colors themselves when choosing
your seasonal colors.

Book Design, Cover art and all Illustrations by Lora Alexander


Photos of models Jennifer © Eric Moore, http://moorephotography.net
Photos of models Daniella and Matt ©Brenden Butler
All other model photos provided by Fotolia.com

To order this title or receive more information, please contact Lora@PrettyYourWorld.com

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CONTENTS
Purpose………………………………………………………8

Part I: The Old vs. New Systems


1. The Old 4-Season system…………………………….12
2. The 12-Season system………………………………..13

Part II: Self-Analysis


1. The Dominant Characteristic Method………………..19
2. The Flow Method of Analysis….…………………….28
3. The Dominant Characteristics………………………..21
4. Analyzing Eyes, Hair & Skin………………………...33
5. The Element of Contrast……………………………..38
6. A Closer Look at Each Season……………………….40
7. The 4x4 Color System®………………………………65

Part III: Men, Makeup and More…


8. The 12 & 16 Seasons work for EVERYONE…………73
9. FAQs……………………………………………………78
10. As We Age……………………………………………...87
11. Hair Color……………………………………………….90
12. Pushing the Boundaries…………………………………93
13. Men & Color…………………………………………….97
14. Now What?......................................................................100
15. The Full Color Palettes………………………………….102

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The 12 Seasons
All original Artwork by Lora Alexander

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Color: 1
col·or \ˈkə-lər\ : the aspect of the appearance of objects and light
sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation

Revival: \ri-ˈvī-vəl\ : an act or instance of reviving : the state of being


revived: renewed attention to or interest in something

The purpose of this book is to revive interest in color analysis, specifically, the advanced Seasonal
color theory. This book is geared toward image and color consultants, but it is also for anyone who
wants to figure out their best colors to wear.

Color Analysis is a practical system that guarantees a person will look their best. It’s not a fad or
gimmick. It’s been around for at least a hundred years or more and continues to be used by many
people and professionals. It’s just that many people do not understand the concept fully. I hope to
remedy this with this book. I want to simplify advanced seasonal color theory so everyone sees its
beauty and effectiveness.

Those who have been accurately color analyzed in the past know how much of a difference knowing
your best colors makes. It can change your life. While ensuring you never wear an unflattering color
again, it also opens up a whole new world of color possibilities for you. It simplifies your life by
freeing up time and energy – not to mention money - that might otherwise be spent on wrong color
choices.

Let’s start by clarifying what exactly Color Analysis is: It is simply the science of looking at a person’s
natural eye, skin, and hair color and determining the best set of colors that person can wear to
harmonize with his or her natural coloring. The concept sounds simple and easy — and it is — but too
often in the fashion and cosmetic industry the principle of wearing only the colors that harmonize
and enhance your coloring is not only not encouraged, it’s laughed it. The industry’s livelihood
depends on convincing you to buy every new trend that comes along. Every season, designers come
out with ‘‘new’’ colors that are supposed to be worn during that particular time of the year. It’s
“what’s in.” It’s trendy. If you don’t wear those colors, you are out of style.

Color Revival totally disagrees. In fact, this book is about finding out your true colors, the natural
coloring given to you by nature. By discovering and honoring your natural color scheme, you save
time and money, but most important, you look your absolute best.

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Knowing your best colors unlocks the mystery of what colors to The Right Colors
wear every time you have to make that decision, whether it’s
*Add radiance to
shopping for new clothes, buying makeup, coloring your hair or
your face, making
choosing the best outfit for a job interview. With so many you look younger,
benefits, knowing your best colors, or “season,” is one of the fresher, more alive
most powerful beauty tools available to you. When you
*Help camouflage
consistently wear only your right colors, you will know that you
imperfections like
are looking your best each and every day. You will resist the blemishes, fine
temptation to buy “what’s in” each season, saving you lines, and dark
hundreds if not thousands of dollars on bad color choices. You circles
will develop your own style that reflects who you really are. *Lessen the need
You will show the world you are no slave to fashion, but a for more makeup
confident individual who knows what looks best on her (or him)
*Soften facial
only.
features

When I was growing up, I had no real fashion sense. Growing *Make you look
up in a family that had very little money to spend on even the more confident and
necessities made things like “fashion” and “style” a luxury we alert
just couldn’t afford. Just to find clothes at the local Kmart or *Make people
garage sales that fit and were affordable was an notice YOU, not the
accomplishment. It took a while for colors you wear
me to understand that fashion and
The Wrong Colors
style were really an extension of
who I was and wanted to be. It was *Accentuate fine
an expression of myself. lines and wrinkles

I showed a talent for artwork at an *Accentuate


early age, at least that’s what my blemishes, dark
circles, skin
teachers told me. I loved colors. imperfections
Nothing made me happier than a
brand new box of Crayola crayons®. *Make you look
The ultimate was the 64-count box tired or sick

because it held my absolute favorite color “sky blue.” I loved *Emphasize a


anything sky blue. It was the 70s and my brother had a double chin
collection of model cars he’d put together. He had one that
was a Chevy van -- baby blue, rear bubble windows, with an *Make people see
your clothing or
“airbrushed” mountain scene on the side (actually a waterslide
makeup only and
decal sticker). I loved that van! I imagined myself driving it not see YOU
through the Rocky Mountains, heading for California with my

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boyfriend (who happened to look just like David Cassidy) at
my side. Yes, I had a vivid imagination. But I can’t imagine
that van inspiring me as much as it did if it happened to
have been brown or black or even red. I was in love with
sky blue.

I also had an eye for studying women’s faces. I studied eye


shapes, eyelids, eyebrows and cheekbones (always wanted
cheekbones like Audrey Hepburn; mine were just chubby). I
was more than a little obsessed with Linda Evans, the actress who played “Audrey” on “The Big
Valley” and later “Krystal” on “Dynasty.” To me she looked like a living Barbie Doll. I wanted to look
like her so bad. I noticed how she just ‘‘glowed’’ when she wore this sky blue blouse and I could not
understand why it did not have the same effect on me (I didn’t know anything about the fact she was
a “Cool Summer” and I was the complete opposite “Warm Autumn.”) I remember one time in
particular, after seeing her looking impossibly beautiful with her flawless skin, going into the
bathroom and scrubbing my skin in hopes I could just scrub away the red pimples that were so
blatantly obvious on my pale skin. It didn’t work; it just made my face raw and actually bleed. It was
that moment that I became obsessed with learning about skin care and eventually became a licensed
esthetician.

But my obsession with color analysis came after some girls at my high school told me that they
thought I was an “Autumn.” I had no idea what they were talking about and then they showed me
the book “Color Me Beautiful” by Carol Jackson. I was enthralled. I loved the illustrations, I loved the
photos, but most of all I loved what it said because finally it made sense why the colors I loved
most—pinks and blues—made me look paler than I already was. I was an Autumn! The world made
sense to me. I went to the library and promptly checked out the book and read every word.

Never again did I even entertain the idea to try gray eye shadows, or fuchsia blush. I love pinks and
blues, but I still get to enjoy them by painting my bedroom those colors, or planting my garden in
only my favorite blues, purples and pinks. Which colors to buy for my makeup and clothes, even my
hair, is one thing I never have to give a second thought about.

That is just one of the many wonderful things that happen when you wear your right colors.

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See my model Daniela above. While there’s no doubt she looks cute in both outfits, notice how the
red top (right) harmonizes better with her darker coloring than the soft muted earth tones (left)?
She is a Deep Winter and the colors on the left make her face look pale and do nothing to liven up
her face. The red top enhances her hair and eyes and without any makeup (except some sheer lip
balm).

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The Old 4 Season System
The 4-season color theory popularized in Carol Jackson’s book “Color Me Beautiful” was simple to
understand and it worked for many women, myself included. However, it didn’t work for everyone.
Why could some women wear both cool and warm colors successfully? What if you were labeled a
Winter but the color black was just way too intense? There were too many issues with the 4-season
color theory. After much research by color analysts, the conclusion was that the 4-season color
theory was simply incomplete. I will explain why in a moment. But first let’s examine what the
theory was all about since most people who know
anything about color analysis and personal color
theory probably learned about it from “Color Me
Beautiful.” Also, most of the theories for modern
color analysis taught today by professionals will
begin with the basic four seasons first. Then you
figure out which sub-category you fall into, with
one exception, which I will explain later.

The 4-season color theory matched real seasons


nicely: the rich brown, gold, orange and yellow you
would see on an Autumn day were precisely the
palette for the “Autumn” season. Likewise, the
bright warm colors of the “Spring” palette included
the pretty colors you’d see in springtime, like
yellow daffodils, robin’s egg blues, lilacs and pretty
pastel Easter eggs. However, keep in mind that
these are simply names which could have easily
been called anything else, but they happen to fit
the seasons perfectly. The principle behind the
system was this: People with cool (or blue)
undertones would be a Summer or a Winter. People
with warm (or yellow) undertones would be a Spring
or an Autumn. Once you knew what your undertone
was, then you needed to decide if you were
flattered more by lighter or darker colors. If you
could wear strong cool colors you were a Winter.
Lighter cool colors made you a Summer. If you
could wear the darkest of the warm colors, you
would be an Autumn. Light warm colors made you
a Spring. The theory took two aspects of a person’s

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coloring into consideration: temperature and value. But there was an important third aspect
missing.

The 12-Season System


What was missing was “Chroma” or “saturation.” Chroma refers to a color’s “purity.” High chroma
colors are rich and full; low chroma colors are dull and grayish, or “muted.” This third element of
the color theory was taken into account and later the 4-season theory was refined into a more
precise and accurate 12-season color theory, the main system I talk about in this book. I will also
talk about the 16-season season system as well, as it expands on the theories even further.

Actually, the basis for the entire 12-


season color theory can be traced
back to artist Albert Munsell, who
developed his color notation system
utilizing the three elements of hue,
value and chroma beginning in the
late 19th century. Most color analyst
companies who use the 12-season
system, like “Color Me Beautiful” or
“Always in Style” pay homage to
Munsell as one of the founders of
the development of this system.

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As Munsell notes, a color has 3 aspects to it: HUE, VALUE, and CHROMA.

1. Hue means simply what color an object is, like red, orange or green. Every hue will be either
warm or cool, or some combination of the two.

2. Value just means the lightness or darkness of a color. Typically, light colors have tints of
white added to them. Dark colors have some shade of black added to them.

3. Chroma means a color’s clarity or saturation. A sunny Yellow would be considered fully
saturated or clear. “Mustard” would be considered a muted Yellow. In the figure below, Lime
Green and True Blue are considered “clear” while Sage and Dusty Blue are considered
“muted.” There is usually a heaviness or grayness added to a muted color. So Chroma refers
to how clear a color is or how muted it is, or as it’s referred to in the remainder of this book,
it’s “Softness.’’

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HUE = Warm or Cool
VALUE = Light or Dark
CHROMA = Clear or Soft

Understanding these principles is essential in understanding the 12- and 16-season color analysis
system. From this information we can begin to decipher a person’s coloring and figure out their
“season.’’

I’ve studied a few different ways to conduct a color analysis. In my previous version of this book, I
only talked about one, and that is the process of finding someone’s dominant characteristic, then
their secondary characteristic, which leads to their season. It’s fast and accurate. That is IF you can
figure out their dominant characteristic. I will admit it can be challenging sometimes. If you are
unsure of the dominant characteristic, there is another way to go about doing the analysis and I will
talk about it later in this chapter. As a color analyst, it is always good to know various ways to
decipher someone’s coloring. It will make you a more well-rounded and accurate analyst.

The Dominant and Secondary Characteristic Method


The first method is the process of finding a person’s dominant and secondary characteristic.
Continuing on from the Hue, Value, and Chroma discussion, you will see that from these three
aspects of color we get six dominant characteristics that a person can exhibit. It is these six
characteristics that are most important in determining your season. If you can determine your
dominant characteristic, you are 75% there in determining your season. The secondary characteristic
will finalize which season you are. For example, if you have light blonde hair and light blue eyes, out
of the six characteristics you determine you are a “Light” season. The next step is to decide whether
you favor cooler colors or warmer colors. If you decide light warm colors flatter you more than light
cool colors, you would be a “Light Spring.” Those are essentially the two steps in determining your
Season in this method. There is a third characteristic for each season as well, though it’s the least
dominant characteristic.

I created the chart on the next page that lists each season and what the dominant, secondary and
third characteristics are for each one. Remember that the Dominant characteristic (the first of the
three in the equation) is the most important aspect of determining your season.

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The 12 Season HUE VALUE CHROMA
Color System Warm or Cool Deep or Light Clear or
Soft/Muted

Warm Spring Light Spring Clear Spring

Spring
WARM + LIGHT + LIGHT + WARM + CLEAR + WARM +
(clear) (clear) (light)

Summer
Cool Summer Light Summer Soft Summer
COOL + LIGHT + LIGHT + COOL + (soft) SOFT + COOL + (light)
(soft)

Autumn Warm Autumn Deep Autumn Soft Autumn


WARM + DARK + (soft) DARK + WARM + (soft) SOFT + WARM +
(dark)

Winter
Cool Winter Deep Winter Clear Winter
COOL + DARK + (clear) DARK + COOL + (clear) CLEAR + COOL +
(dark)

Color Revival©

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Let’s analyze some of the aspects of the chart:

Each season will have one aspect of Munsell’s three characteristics of color that is dominant -- Hue,
Value or Chroma. The dominant characteristic of the season accounts for about 75% of the season’s
appearance. The secondary characteristic accounts for about 20% and the third characteristic
accounts for about 5%.

Let’s look at the Spring seasons as an example: All Springs have the characteristics of Warm (hue or
temperature), Light (value) and Clear (chroma). If the dominant characteristic, or the most visibly
obvious aspect of the person, is “Light,” that person will be a “Light Spring”. Likewise, if the most
obvious characteristic is “Clear,” she will be a “Clear Spring” and lastly if the dominant
characteristic is “Warm,” she will be a “Warm Spring.” This is exactly the same for each season. See
how the old 4-season system compares to the 12-season system: Each season in the old system is
broken down in to three3, with each season having one aspect of Value, Chroma or Hue being
dominant.

While the dominant characteristic is the most important aspect to figuring out your season, the 2 nd
and 3rd are the deciding factors when debating between two seasons. Let’s say that you are
confident that your naturally warm red hair and ivory freckled skin makes you a “Warm” season.
Check the 2nd and 3rd characteristics on the chart for what to look for next: If your eyes are a light
clear green, you would most likely be the Warm Spring. If your eyes were a soft, muddy green, you
would most likely be a Warm Autumn.

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Since I study the differences between the 12 seasons all the time, each one becomes its own
unique world to me, with its own special traits. But I do find it helpful to go back to the
basics in how these 12 seasons formed in the first place. And having a good sense of what the
basic four seasons are will set the foundation for the alternate method I will talk about later.

The 12-seasons system (as well as the 16 seasons) can also be called the “Flow Seasonal
Theory.” In this, the traditional four seasons -- Winter, Summer, Autumn, Spring -- will flow
into one another. At the points where they overlap, this creates a new season. For example,
the Deep Autumn is really a blend of Autumn and Winter. This person has the warmth of the
typical Autumn season, but the intensity of a Winter.

The FLOW SYSTEM

Let’s look at the Winter season, for example. From the chart you can see where Winter flows into a
summer is a Cool Winter; into an Autumn is Deep Winter; into a Spring is Clear Winter.

Where the seasons overlap, you will find some shared colors. The Clear Spring and Clear Winter will
share some colors like Emerald Green and black (the only Spring that contains black in its palette!)
The Cool Winter and Cool Summer will share colors like Violet and Deep Rose.

I like this chart because it shows why someone, let’s say, who is a Soft Summer might look good in an
olive color (traditionally an Autumn color), because they are a blend of Summer and Autumn. Some
of those “traditional’’ autumn colors might pop up the Soft Summer palette. The same goes for all
the seasons.

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Notice that where seasons blend, you will find the colors to be more neutral than strictly warm or
cool. Unless your dominant characteristic is Cool or Warm, the remaining seasons are a blend of both
warm and cool. So that’s why it can be very difficult when looking for a warm or cool undertone in
some people who are a blended season. I’ll be honest, sometimes it can be difficult even if your
dominant characteristic is Cool or Warm. Skin tone can be tricky sometimes.

Begin your Analysis using the Dominant Characteristic method


Rather than first focusing on whether you only have cool or warm undertones, which is how you
would begin the color analysis in the old system and actually in the second method I will talk about
as well, in this particular method you simply need to determine which of the following six
characteristics are most dominant for you.

1. Determine your Dominant Characteristic

2. Determine your second and/or third characteristic (which means deciding if you favor
cooler colors or warmer colors; or if your dominant color is already either “Warm” or “Cool”,
the secondary characteristic is between a lighter or darker intensity level, or clear or muted.)

DOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS:

Every person will fall into 1 of the following 6 dominant characteristic categories:

Deep: Strong, rich, dark coloring.

Examples: Cher, Kim Kardashian

Light: Very light and delicate

Ex: Gwyneth Paltrow and Heather Locklear

Warm: Yellow-based colors, no blue undertones

Ex: Reba McIntyre, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

Cool: Blue-based colors, no yellow or golden undertones

Ex: Christy Brinkley, Linda Evans

Clear: Bright, clear colors, nothing muted or dusty

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Ex: Courtney Cox; Heather Graham

Muted: Soft, dusty colors; nothing bright and overpowering

Ex: Jennifer Aniston, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen

SECONDARY CHARACTERISITICS:

Once you’ve determined your dominant characteristic, next decide if warmer or cooler
colors look best (*see test draping for more help). For example, if your dominant trait is
"Deep," decide if the deep cool colors look best on you or the deep warm colors.

If your dominant characteristic is either "Warm" or "Cool," then decide whether you favor
clear or muted colors next. Once you’ve figured out these two components, you’ve got your
season figured out. As a final test, cross check your third characteristic to make sure it’s
consistent with the following chart too. Third characteristics might be very subtle, but they
can be quite helpful in figuring out your season as well.

Deep, Cool (clear) Colors = Deep Winter

Deep, warm (muted) colors = Deep Autumn

Light, warm colors (clear) = Light Spring

Light, Cool (muted) colors = Light Summer

Clear, cool (deep) colors = Clear Winter

Clear, warm (light) colors = Clear Spring

Soft, warm (deep) colors = Soft Autumn

Soft, cool (light) colors = Soft Summer

Warm, clear (light) colors = Warm Spring

Warm, soft (deep) colors = Warm Autumn

Cool, soft (light) colors = Cool Summer

Cool, clear (deep) colors = Cool Winter

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Generally speaking, Deep seasons will have dark hair and dark eyes, like Kim
Kardashian. Natural hair color will range from medium to dark brown, to deep
auburn; eyes from dark brown, nearly black, to deep hazel, deep blue or deep olive.
You won’t find natural blondes and light blue eyes in this season. They come alive in
deep, dark colors like black, Navy, Forest Green, Charcoal, True Red. Colors that
are too light will wash them out.

Typically, Light seasons’ hair will be blonde, ranging from warm golden blonde to a
cool ash blonde. Eyes will be a light blue, gray or green or mixture of the three.
Dark eyes are a sign you are NOT a Light Season, regardless of your hair color.
There is very little contrast between your natural hair color and skin tone. Your
skin often has a peachy glow, like Kate Hudson, or a pink glow, like Denise
Richards. Light seasons glow in the lightest of colors. Light peach, soft pink, pale
blue, light lavender, beige and sand will make you look elegant. Bright colors are
too overbearing and very dark colors wash them out completely.

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Warm seasons can be easy to spot when they have the typical combination of
red hair, light complexion and freckles. Eyes can be muddy to clear green,
light clear blue, or light to medium brown with golden flecks in the iris. Red
hair is most common but golden or strawberry blondes to medium brown to
auburn hair can be present. The value level will be medium — anything darker
may signal you are a Deep. Anything very light could signal a Soft or Light
season. The overall look is of a total “golden” glow.

The best way to describe the “Cool” trait is the absence of Warmth. Cool pink or
rosy undertones are often evident. One of the surest ways to determine if you
are a Cool season is to hold a golden yellow scarf to your face. Warm golden
colors will make you look sick, as will pale beiges, tans and oranges. Pink, on the
other hand will make you come alive. Hair can be a blue-black or medium to dark
ashy brown with no red or gold highlights. Likewise your eyes will be a cool blue,
black, brown, steel gray or violet. You will typically not see any yellow or golden
flecks in the irises.

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Soft seasons can be the hardest to determine at first glance since they can often
look similar to other seasons. Some can look light and pale, however, a “Soft”
season’s look is richer and less delicate than the “Light” seasons. Some can be
rather dark, but the “Deep” seasons are too dark for them. Depending on their
secondary characteristic, sometimes they are mistaken for a Cool or Warm season.
However, because the Soft seasons are a blend of both warm and cool colors,
their look is quite neutral when compared to those other seasons. Their colors
appear to have been “muted” or “toned down.” Often there is little contrast
between eyes, skin and hair. And the hair is often described as ‘mousy’ or flat.
Monochromatic color schemes can look stunning on you. Bold, clear, bright colors
will overpower.

Clear seasons have a definite clear, bright, crisp look to them. The eyes are key
in determining a Clear season. Almost always the eyes are bright and jewel-like:
blue, turquoise, emerald or amber. The whites their eyes are bright white.
Muddy, muted colors look just that -- muddy. The clearest, brightest and most
saturated of colors make them come alive. The same colors that would
overpower the other seasons.

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Test Draping Key Colors to pinpoint your season

If you have determined your dominant trait and are still a little unsure whether you lean toward cool
colors or warm colors, then test these colors against your face with a swatch, a scarf, sweater or
even a piece of colored paper. While most seasons share colors from their “sister season” (the two
seasons that share the dominant characteristic) there will be certain colors that will look best for
one season over the other. Below are some of those colors for each dominant group:

Test Draping between “Sister Seasons”

Deep Clear Warm


Autumn or Winter Spring or Winter Spring or Autumn
Salmon Pink or Fuchsia Warm Pink or Magenta Light Mango or Pumpkin

Light Peach or Icy Pink True Green or Pine Green Medium Blue or Jade

Terracotta or Burgundy True Blue or Royal Blue Clear Red or Rust

Light Soft Cool


Spring or Summer Summer or Autumn Summer or Winter
Bright Coral or Deep Blue Green or Olive Green Soft White or Pure White
Rose
Soft Fuchsia or Salmon Lavender or Royal
Camel or Cocoa Pink Purple

Light Moss or Aqua green Burgundy or Mahogany Raspberry or True Red

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Differences between “Sister Seasons”
**Celebrity Example

Clear Winter Clear Spring

 Deepest darks  Slightly less intense


 Hair is usually dark  Hair can be dark, med
 Eyes are overtly cool or light, but the overall
coloring is lighter than
** Courtney Cox winters
 Eyes may show some
warmth

**Heather Graham
Soft Summer Soft Autumn

 Sometimes mistaken for a  Sometimes mistaken for


Winter a Spring
 Slightly deeper colors  Slightly lighter colors
 Neutral but favors cool  Neutral but favors warm
colors colors

**Sarah Jessica Parker **The Olsen twins

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Cool Summer Cool Winter

 Lighter  Darker
 Softer/muted  Clear colors
 Cool pastels  Cool primary colors
 Black is too strong  Black always looks great

** Christy Brinkley ** Shania Twain

Warm Spring Warm Autumn

 Lighter  Darker
 Clearer  Muted
 Often blue-eyed (though  Often green eyes
not always) (though not always)
 Overall yellow undertone  More golden undertones

** Reba McIntyre ** Lindsay Lohan

Deep Autumn Deep Winter

 Obvious warmth to skin,  Coloring is more neutral


eyes and/or hair  Rarely a reddish cast
 Hair often has reddish cast  No golden flecks or
 Eyes often gold flecks or “starburst”
“starburst” around pupil
** Penelope Cruz
** Paula Abdul

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Light Summer Light Spring

 Pinkish glow to skin  Peachy glow to skin


 Light pastels  Light clear colors
 Ash tones in hair  Golden tones in hair

** Heather Locklear ** Kate Hudson

Can you tell which “Light” season this woman is?

This woman is a Light Summer. She leans more toward cooler colors. Here hair is neutral to
cool blonde. There is some warmth to her, but her blue eyes and pinkish skin tone signal a
Summer season.

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The second method of color analysis
I was trained in the first method, which uses the concept of finding your dominant characteristic
first, then your secondary characteristic. Personally, I think it’s easiest to understand for most
people. And if you can figure out the dominant characteristic, it’s accurate as well. However, there
are just a few drawbacks to this method. First, as I stated earlier, sometimes the dominant
characteristic is not obvious. If you can’t figure it out, what do you do? Well, you need to fall back to
the second method below. Last, the main systems that use this method seem to think that the
majority of colors that “sister seasons” can share are around 80/20 – meaning that 80% of the colors
can work for both seasons, while 20% of the colors may be unique to each season. I personally don’t
think this is accurate. I think the overlap in colors is a lot smaller. Some companies will offer
swatches just for Deeps, or Softs, for example, and the entire swatch colors should work for both
Deeps and Softs. Some colors will definitely work for both sister seasons but some will just be OK
and some may not work at all. I prefer a swatch that is more precise for each season.

But let’s go back to the second method of color analysis. It is actually the one most people use. Done
correctly, either system should lead you to the same conclusion.

The second method is often called the “Flow” method. It is essentially this:

1. Find your overall season: Winter, Summer, Spring or Autumn.


2. Then find which secondary season you ‘flow” into.

Put another way, it simply means which type of sub-category you fall into.

Doing this requires you understand the 4 seasons pretty well. Getting a copy of the classic book
“Color Me Beautiful” by Carole Jackson is a great start. Once you get a feel for the overall seasons
and their special characteristics, you can begin to distinguish the sub-seasons within them.

Begin your Analysis using the Flow method


Almost all color analyses begin with the essential step of finding your undertone, which means
determining whether you favor warm colors or cool colors. Once you know this, you immediately
narrow down your options by half. Cool? You are either a Summer or Winter. Warm? You’re either a
Spring or Autumn. Once you find this, there is no worrying about 12 seasons now, since you’ve just
narrowed it down to 6.

The classic test colors for finding your undertone is Orange and Fuchsia. Putting a drape of each
color right below your face should help you determine which color flatters you better. Keep in mind
neither color may be your best color, or even in your palette at all. But one color should look better
over the other.

28
Fuchsia = Cool Orange = Warm

29
Unfortunately most people are not so obviously cool or warm like my photo-shopped picture above.
People whose dominant characteristic is either Cool or Warm usually are the easiest to catch with
this test. Soft seasons are probably the least easy to catch this way, since they are a blended so well
with both warm and cool. However, even Soft Seasons will lean toward one over the other.

Other test colors for Cool vs. Warm determination include:

COOL WARM
Black Warm Brown

Emerald Khaki

Bright White Warm Ivory

Pastel Pink Coral

Confident you have found your undertone, you now need to find your overall season. Now once
again, you are just testing between two seasons. And for those two seasons you will have two test
colors for each. Here are a few test colors for each of the warm and cool seasons:

Cool Seasons

Winter Summer
Black Gray

Royal Blue Medium Blue

Hot Pink Pastel Pink

Emerald Blue-Green

30
Warm Seasons

Spring Autumn
Lime Green Olive

Sunny Yellow Honey

Clear Peach Burnt orange

Bright Aqua Ultramarine blue

Now that you have found the main season, you need to determine your “flow.’’ If you are using a set
of professionally designed drapes, there will be instructions on how to use them and in what order.
Usually, there will be specific sets of three (or four if you are using the 16-season system) tones of a
particular color. Of the three or four, one should look best amongst the others. Each set of drapes
will have their own set of test colors for each of the seasons. But here is just one example using
orange and green for an Autumn person:

Orange Green

Warm Autumn Burnt Orange Olive

Soft Autumn Peach Moss

Deep Autumn Deep burnt orange Pine

While test drapes are important, particularly if you are new to color analysis, I think it is more
important to understand the theory behind the different seasons. As an Autumn season, you could
conceivably look pretty good in all six of these Autumn colors. If you don’t know what you are
looking for, the differences won’t help much. What you are looking for is whether you (or your
client) look better in the most saturated and strictly warm colors (Warm Autumn), or whether the
more muted and toned-down colors are better for you (Soft Autumn) or if you can handle the
deepest darkest colors (Deep Autumn.) Along with this one needs to know the best contrast levels
for each season as well.

Once you begin to study the individual seasons, you will understand what flow is all about and you
can even see some of the secondary seasonal traits in a person. For example, Light Summers are a
blend (about 80/20) of Summer and Spring. This small bit of Spring influence gives a Light Summer a

31
somewhat more luminous look than you would normally find in a Summer. Some of the Spring colors
can look great on them, whereas a Cool Summer needs to avoid warm colors in general. And Soft
Summers are the opposite of “luminous,’’ needing rich muted colors instead.

Another example: Deep Winters are a blend of Winter and Autumn. The Autumn influence gives this
season a bit of warmth you won’t find in the Cool Winter season. Most of the time the warmth shows
up in the skin but it can be seen in hair and eyes as well.

The color analysis process is the same in the 16-season system I talk about later in the book. The only
difference is of course there are four sub-categories of the main four seasons, and the drapes are
even more fine-tuned to distinguish between the seasons.

If you are a color analyst, having a good set of drapes are essential tools for doing an accurate
analysis. But more important, you need to really understand the different seasons and what the
parameters are that distinguish one from the other.

Can you tell what season this woman is?

She’s pretty easy to analyze actually. Here are the clues:

 Cool Skin, eyes and hair


 Dark hair
 Contrast level is high
 Value is Deep
 Black looks good on her

My analysis: Cool Winter (Clear Winter could also be a


possibility)

32
Analyzing Skin, Hair and Eyes

In my previous training, it was emphasized that eye color was the most important factor. It worked
for me most of the time. However, it didn’t work all of the time. I rely on it as a definitive factor
less now, after analyzing hundreds and hundreds of women all over the world. My advanced training
as well showed me that eye color is not the end all and be all. But then again, none of the three
aspects alone will give you a definitive answer. It is the “whole package” of eyes, hair and skin that
need to be analyzed together. Which is most important? Well, all three aspects are important but
you will want to remember S.H.E., or Skin, Hair and Eyes. Examine the Skin first, to reveal one’s
undertones. This is important because if you, for example, have cool skin, you will be a cool season:
some sort of Summer or Winter. Your skin is definitely warm? You are some sort of Spring or
Autumn. The hair and eyes should then determine its intensity and contrast level, as well as be
another source for determining undertone, though not as reliable as skin tone.

33
Skin
In my previous edition of this book, I confessed that skin tone was one of the
least helpful aspects in my color analysis process. Why? Because most skin
tones rarely revealed to me those famous warm or cool “undertones’’ that
are so often touted as the defining factor in finding your season. Granted, I
have seen people with obviously warm ivory skin, and those with that
definite cool pink hue. But most of the time skin showed little to me in ways
of color analysis. Add to this the fact that a person can have warm
undertones but cool overtones (and vice versa) like when a cool skinned person tans a golden brown.
And some people simply appear neutral. But this showed me that I needed to retrain my eyes to
really study skin. I’ve done that. And now I can see skin tones more accurately. But to be completely
honest, it can still be quite challenging in some people. Skin tone is a big clue to one’s season, and
your job as a color analyst is to use all clues you can find. With regard to skin tone, here are some
things to consider:

 Olive skin appears warm on the surface, but is usually associated with a person that has cool
undertones.
 Clear seasons’ skin will often have a very translucent appearance to it.
 Warm seasons will often freckle. But if you are a cool-skinned person, you can freckle too but
your freckles will be more grayish in color compared to the reddish brown found in Warm
seasons.
 Light seasons may or may not freckle. Deep Seasons will usually tan.
 As a licensed Esthetician, let me get on my soapbox just briefly. Please know that freckles are
a result of sun exposure. They are not just a normal part of being a child or an adult for that
matter. If you protected your skin from the sun starting from Day One, your skin would be
flawless and without freckles or age spots even at 90 years old. Guaranteed. Ninety percent
of what we consider to be normal signs of aging are caused by the sun. Besides quitting
smoking if you are a smoker, protecting your skin from the sun is the number one thing you
can do to look younger. I will get off my soapbox now.

If you are one who can clearly see a definite warmth or coolness in your skin, that is great. Keep in
mind however, that even if you do determine your skin’s coolness, that alone does not tell you the
entire picture. You will only be a Warm or Cool season (i.e. Cool Winter or Summer, or Warm Autumn
or Spring) if your skin, eyes and hair are all the same temperature. The other seasons have a
combination of warm and cool in them and it’s not uncommon for skin to be warm and eyes and hair
cool, or vice versa.

34
Hair Color
Some color analysts rely on hair color less than others in determining
one’s season. Hair color can be deceiving for the simple reason that
it can change so much. I figured out one of my nieces was a Clear
Spring when she was 3 years old due to her clear blue eyes, ivory skin
and butter blonde hair. I was surprised that by the time she was 9,
her hair was dark brown. When my friend became pregnant for the
first time, her golden blonde hair turned a medium mousy brown
color practically overnight. Hormones, diet and a host of other
factors can change your hair color throughout your life many times
over. And obviously if you chemically color your hair, it can change
things entirely.

For hair to be a useful factor in determining your season, it must be


your natural hair color. For example, if you are or were a natural
fiery redhead, most likely you are a “Warm” season, unless the
intensity is so deep as to make you a “Deep Autumn.” But it’s a
pretty safe bet that you are not a “Cool” season of any kind. Light blonde as a child? Chances are you
are not “Deep” (though I have seen a few exceptions, particularly when the eyes are also very dark).
If your hair was jet black as a child, you can probably knock off Light or Soft seasons as a possibility.
Mousy blond or brown hair is common in “Soft” seasons. But if your mousy hair color lightens easily
in the sun, that could signify a “Light” season as well. It’s very common for very blonde hair to
darken to a mousy light brown if one does not color or highlight their hair to retain the blonde. So
even if you see soft brown hair on a client, it wouldn’t necessarily mean a Soft season. You should be
able to see the lightness of their skin and eyes to tell if they were actually a Light season, not Soft.

If you can’t even remember what your “natural” color is, pull out those old photos of you before
your hair color changed either by you or by nature. When I do a color analysis I often ask for pictures
of my client when they were a child. It has helped me on several occasions to figure out some tough
cases. I will even do it just to cross check my analysis.

There are some disagreements among several color analysis companies as to how much of a factor
hair color plays, natural or not. Some think hair color has no effect. Some think it is the main factor
and will dictate what season you are. I used to believe in the former way but now I’m somewhere in
the middle. In a sense I often do two different analyses when I study a client. First I try to find out
the season the client is and was from Day One. I want to see the coloring nature gave her. This is
when old photos come in handy. If she is open to following her natural coloring all the way, I give her
the swatch and hair and makeup recommendations. But if her hair is noticeably wrong, or not in
harmony with her coloring, I need to ask her how attached she is to her hair color. If she is adamant
about not changing her hair color, regardless if it is wrong for her season, then I must alter her
analysis and base it on what I see in front of me.

35
For example, I’ve seen Deep Winters with naturally dark brunette hair, dark eyes and olive skin who
just love being a blonde. They do not mind the high maintenance and costs involved in keeping their
hair blonde, and they will not go back to a dark color. In this case, the blonde hair will mute the
overall coloring and soften the look. Her undertones will not change but her contrast level and
intensity would. So I would recommend a Soft Summer palette for her instead.

Here is an example:

The photo on the left above shows this woman with her natural Deep Winter coloring. If she were my
client and told me she loves her lighter locks and will not give them up, then I would suggest then
Soft Summer palette instead. (In the 16-season system I will talk about later, I would suggest a Soft
Summer Deep for her).

Overall, hair has an important component in your total look and it needs to be taken into
consideration when finding your best palette of colors. Ignore its effect and risk not looking your
absolute best. S.H.E. needs to all be in harmony with each other.

36
Eyes
While skin takes up the most space of the three elements, eyes
are what’s looked at the most. They are indeed the windows of
the soul. And they are important in your analysis.

For example, as I stated before, eyes are critical in determining


the Clear seasons. They will have the striking sparkly eyes that
are unique to that season.

Rarely can a very deep dark chocolate brown-eyed person be


anything but a “Deep” season, though sometimes dark-eyed Summers and Soft Autumns can be
confused with a Deep season. However, you won’t find a dark-eyed “Light” season. “Light” seasons
will have light-colored eyes. And “Warm” seasons, particularly Autumns, will often have golden
“flecks” or a “starburst” surrounding their pupils. Most “Soft” and muted seasons will have eyes
whose colors looks “smudged” or blurry, the opposite of the “Clear” seasons. Indeed, many of the
characteristics of each season will be found in the eyes — clear, soft, deep, light, warm and cool.
There are always exceptions, but more often than not, the eyes follow the “theme” of the season’s
particular characteristics.

Eye color alone is not enough to analyze one’s season, just like skin or hair color alone is not.

The two photos above have the exact same blue eyes. While you could probably rule out a Deep
season, that is about it if you only looked at the eye color. Blue eyes can be found in every single
season. The cool skin (left) signifies a cool season. If the client had naturally dark hair as well, most
likely she’d be a Cool Winter. Medium brown hair (lower intensity level) could signify Cool Summer.
The warm skin (right) signifies a warm season, most likely a spring. Light blonde hair in addition to
the eyes and skin could mean a Light Spring. Very golden blonde or reddish hair could mean Warm
Spring.

37
The Element of Contrast
Contrast in seasonal color theory is an important factor, but it is often overlooked. Getting your
contrast level correct is critical in achieving your best look possible. I figured this out a few years
ago. When trying to choose the right outfit for a job interview, I was frustrated when two colors in
my palette worn together looked less than ideal. I wore a brown blazer with an ivory blouse, two
perfectly acceptable colors for my Warm Autumn season. But the effect was choppy and made my
face just “disappear.’’ It certainly wasn’t the harmonious look I’d get when I wore an all-over brown
dress or a one color ivory blouse. I didn’t understand why. Now I understand the element of
Contrast.

Certain seasons need a lot of contrast to really come alive, particularly the Clear Seasons and the
Winters. Conversely, others like the “Soft” seasons and Summers need low contrast. Being a Warm
Autumn myself, I need medium to low contrast to harmonize my colors well.

There are two ways that contrast comes into play when wearing your right colors:

How a single color contrasts against


your skin and/or hair.

For example, a black dress against pale skin


would be high contrast. A white dress
against the same skin would be low contrast
(left)

The same colors against dark skin give the


opposite effect.

38
How multiple colors contrast against each other

A sky blue top paired with medium blue pants is low contrast. A black & hot pink striped top is high
contrast (above).

If you’re a person needing high


contrast and you wear low contrast
colors, it can drain the vitality from
your face. If you are a medium- to
low-contrast person such as I am,
wearing a high-contrast color
combination can be disharmonious
and choppy.

Getting the contrast level right can be


almost as important as getting your
colors correct.

If for whatever reason you cannot


wear your right colors, at least aim
for your correct contrast level. It
makes a huge difference.

39
A Closer Look at the 12 Seasons

Every season has its beauty. But I hear so many people say they want to be a different
season. So many people would love to be a blue-eyed blonde Summer, or a fiery redhead, or
a peaches-and-cream Spring. But as I said, each season has its beauty and instead of longing
to be a different season, revel in all the glory of the palette nature gave you. You can learn
about pushing the boundaries of your coloring later in the book, but for now, let’s take a
closer look at each season.

Color Story: “Pink Night”


Shortly after reading “Color Me Beautiful” for the first time and becoming a true
believer in it, I was invited by a friend to a makeup party, where they were doing
makeovers on everyone, and giving them a free before and after photo. To my
dismay, I soon found it was “Pink” night, and they were promoting their new line of
pinks and purples and fuchsias. I should have run, but being shy and the fact that the
makeup artist was a cute male, I didn’t want to cause a scene. I did tell him,
however, that as a Warm Autumn, I couldn’t wear pink and purple and he said,
“Nonsense. We don’t believe in that. Any woman can wear whatever color they want
to.” Again, not wanting to appear difficult to this cute guy, I told myself that maybe
he was such a good makeup artist that he could make those colors work on me. He
couldn’t. No one could. I remember going home and crying while looking at the
horrible “after” picture, looking cartoonish in fuchsia blush, pink and purple eye
shadow and hot pink lips. Another blow to my already low self-esteem. That incident
only reinforced my belief in color analysis. No salesperson will ever again be able to
sell me on a color that I know looks hideous on me. Ever.

40
Deep Winter
Dominant characteristic: Deep

Secondary characteristic: Cool

Contrast level: High

The Deep Winter is easy to spot because she will almost always
have naturally dark hair and dark eyes. Common skin tone is
olive or bronze, but it can be light cool beige. Eye color can
range from almost black to deep chocolate brown, red brown,
deep olive, deep hazel or deep blue. If you have light blue eyes, you are not a deep season.

Dark or vivid cool colors complement you best. Black will be a staple of your wardrobe, as
will navy and charcoal. Because you will also share some colors of your sister season, the
Deep Autumn, you will also see pine green, chocolate brown, and rust in your palette. You
will be able to wear vibrant colors like hot pink, blue red, and Chinese blue that would
appear clown-like on other seasons. The other seasons simply don’t have the strength of
coloring to handle such colors. For business, the traditional “corporate” colors of black, gray
and navy make it easy to form a great core wardrobe. You can dress it up with a shot of a
hot pink or Chinese blue blouse. Your contrast level is high. You will make the best impact
when you combine the dark and the very bright colors together.

Famous Deep Winters include Cher, Kourtney Kardashian, Anne Hathaway and Penelope Cruz.

Makeup Suggestions:

Eye shadow - Contour: deep brown, purple,


aubergine, smoky gray, navy

Highlighter: champagne, pearl white, cool


beige

Eye pencil: black, black brown, charcoal,


purple

Lips: true red, ruby, burgundy, cool dark


brown

41
Black True Green Bright Lemon Medium Grey
Yellow

Pure White Rust Cranberry Chinese Blue

Charcoal Teal Icy Violet Icy Blue

True Red Navy Bright Periwinkle Hot Pink

Brown Black True Blue Grape Royal Blue

Pine Green Maroon Raspberry Purple

Deep Teal Magenta Taupe Burgundy

Hot Turquoise Aqua Icy Pink Silver & Gold


jewelry

42
Deep Autumn
Dominant Characteristic: Deep

Secondary characteristic: Warm

Contrast level: High

Like the Deep Winter, the Deep Autumn has the obvious
characteristic of dark hair and dark eyes. However, there will be a
noticeable warmth to her as well. Either the hair may have an
obvious auburn cast to it, or the eyes may be very warm. Eyes can
range from dark brown to rich olive or hazel, or they may be so dark they are almost black.
Natural hair color can include dark brown, chestnut and deep auburn. If you have a rich
warm characteristic to you, but lack the depth in coloring, you are most likely a Warm
Autumn.

Black is included in your palette but a “warm” alternative would be a rich chocolate brown.
Other great colors include pine and emerald green, rust, tomato red, and teal. While hot
turquoise, Chinese blue, and true red are typically considered Winter colors, because of your
deep coloring, you can wear these successfully, too. Yellow gold, terracotta and deep
apricot are also exclusive to you since they are too warm for the Deep Winter.

Famous Deep Autumns include Paula Abdul, Natalie Portman, Raquel Welch, and Eva
Mendez.

Makeup Suggestions:

Eye shadow - Contour: dark brown, olive,


bronze, warm gray

Highlighter: lemon, apricot, peach

Eye pencil: black, brown-black, spruce,


purple

Lipstick: terracotta, cinnamon, deep apricot,


raisin, spicy red
43
Blush: terracotta, deep apricot, warm red
Black Lime Golden Yellow True Green

Ivory Rust Mahogany Chinese Blue

Black Brown Teal Deep Olive Deep Peach

Tomato Red Deep Navy Mustard Mint

Dark Chocolate Light Peach Grape Salmon


Brown

Forest Green Brick Red True Red Purple

Deep Teal Salmon Pink Emerald Green Aubergine

Hot Turquoise Aqua Dark Orange Gold & Silver


jewelry

44
Light Spring
Dominant Characteristic: Light

Secondary Characteristic: Warm

Contrast level: Low to medium

The Light Spring will have light hair, light eyes and light skin that
show very little contrast between them. This is the season you
will find the fair-haired blonde and light blue eyes, though you
could also find blue gray or light hazel eyes as well. Hair will be a
predictable blonde -- from golden to beige blonde. Contrast is an
important factor with a Light Spring since you don’t want to
create too much.

The colors in the palette will contain both cool and warm colors, with most leaning toward
warm. However, a Light Spring’s coloring is more neutral when compared to the Warm
Spring, and much more toned-down and delicate than the Clear Spring. Some of the colors in
the palette include light gray, light aqua, buttermilk, camel, peach, ivory, and khaki. Avoid
black as well as other very dark colors like burgundy and deep gray. The Light Spring is one
season where it’s imperative to keep colors light since it’s very easy to become easily
overpowered by certain colors. Camel is the best brown to choose over mahogany; light
navy over black, coral pink over fuchsia.

Famous Light Springs include Kate Hudson, Taylor Swift and Blake Lively.

Eyeshadow- Contour: Soft gray, light to


medium brown, teal, moss green

Highlight: lemon, peach, champagne, light


warm pink, ivory

Eye pencil: camel, medium brown, teal, soft


blue

Lipstick: peach, warm pink, light clear red,


coral, salmon

Blush: peach, warm pink


45
Warm Medium Blue Green Buttermilk Medium Blue
Grey

Ivory Khaki Camel Sage

Light Navy Periwinkle Warm Pink Light Lavender

Light Clear Red Purple Bright Periwinkle Robin Egg Blue

Dark Chocolate True Blue Watermelon Clear Salmon


Brown

Powder Blue Peach Light Teal Bright Yellow


Green

Soft White Clear Aqua Clear Orange Soft White

Light Clear Gold Powder Pink Rose Pink Gold & Silver
jewelry

46
Light Summer
Dominant Characteristic: Light

Secondary Characteristic: Cool

Contrast level: Medium to low

The Light Summer will have light eyes, skin and hair with little
contrast between them. Most likely you were or are a natural
blonde though your hair could have gotten darker as you got
older. The difference between you and the Light Spring is that
you favor cool rather than warm colors. Your eyes will almost always be blue, gray blue or
gray. You might see a more pink or rosy glow to your skin rather than a peachy glow. Your
coloring will be more neutral and much more delicate than the Cool Summer.

Strong bright colors will easily overpower you. Very dark colors will instantly age you. Your
strength will be in keeping your colors light and cool, and softly blended. monochromatic
color schemes will always look great on you. To achieve the elegant look special to your
season, wear the soft beautiful pastels like sky blue, aqua, powder pink, and light gray.
Other fabulous colors for you include raspberry, lavender, watermelon, rose, and all but the
darkest shades of blue. Choose light gray or light navy as a terrific alternative to black,
which will especially drain color from your face.

Famous Light Summers include: Heather Locklear, Naomi Watts and Michelle Pfeiffer.

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: soft blue, medium to


light gray, teal, plum, light cocoa

Highlight: Soft pink, champagne, light


lavender

Eye pencil: light navy, light to medium gray,


blue.

Lipstick: soft pink, raspberry, soft plum, rose

Blush: soft pink, raspberry


47
Charcoal True Green True Blue Medium Grey

Soft White Light Orchid Cranberry Cadet Blue

Rose Brown Teal Rose Robin Egg Blue

Taupe Light Navy Periwinkle Pastel Pink

Cocoa True Red Deep Rose Light Lemon


Yellow

Mint Cherry Blossom Raspberry Wisteria


Pink

Blue Green Purple Slate Blue Denim

Cornflower Blue Aqua Icy Pink Silver & Gold


jewelry

48
Warm Autumn
Dominant Characteristic: Warm

Secondary Characteristic: Muted

Contrast level: Medium

Warm Autumns have a rich, warm glow to them. They will


often have the classic combination of red hair, green eyes
and golden ivory skin, though hair can also be a warm brown
or golden blonde and eyes can be topaz, hazel or teal blue.
You will often see golden flecks or a “sunburst” surrounding the pupil in Autumns’ eyes.
Freckles will be common.

The Warm Autumn needs only to look at the natural colors she would find walking in the
woods on a warm autumn day. All shades of brown, reds, golden yellows and oranges can be
seen. The most important factor in choosing colors is that they are warm. Golden or yellow
undertones should be evident in all of your reds and avoid any with blue undertones like
cherry red or burgundy. Fuchsia is a particularly unkind color for you. Your best neutrals will
be the full range of browns available. Other great neutrals include khaki, moss, bronze and
light navy. All warm shades of green will look terrific on you as well as lots of rust, orange,
deep peach and salmon. Black is not included in your palette. The best alternatives to black
include your darkest browns and olives.

Famous Warm Autumns include Marcia Cross, Julianne Moore, and Lindsay Lohan

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: warm brown, camel,


copper, bronze, moss, purple

Highlight: golden yellow, gold, cream,


apricot

Eye pencil: brown, copper, warm green,


teal,

Lipstick: apricot, spice, copper, terracotta,


cinnamon, mango
49
Chocolate Brown Lime Green Orange Marigold

Warm Ivory Rust Deep Peach Deep Ultramarine

Golden Brown Teal Mustard Forest Green

Tomato Red Light Navy Deep Periwinkle Terracotta

Khaki Light True Green Dark Brown Grey Green

Warm Spring

Jade Coral Orange-Red Purple

Burnt Orange Pumpkin Olive Bronze

Turquoise Aqua Mahogany Gold jewelry

50
Warm Spring
Dominant Characteristic: Warm

Secondary Characteristic: Clear

Contrast level: Medium

The main difference between the Warm Spring and its sister
season Warm Autumn is that the intensity level is lower and its
chroma is clearer. Golden blonde and red hair is common in this
season, as are green eyes, but you will often find blue, aqua, and clear hazel eye colors as
well. Freckles are commonplace and the skin will often have a delicate quality to it,
common to Springs.

Being a Spring, it can be easy to choose the “traditional” spring colors from the old four-
season system. But remember that your most important characteristic is “Warm,” so you will
want to choose colors accordingly. Some fabulous color choices include clear salmon, peach,
light golden brown, bright golden yellow and coral. There are lots of greens in your palette
but all are on the yellow side of green. Avoid cool pinks and reds. There are some pretty
blues in your palette but many will have a warm undertone such as teal, or warm aqua.

Famous Warm Springs include Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: light gray, camel,


golden brown, teal, moss.

Highlight: lemon, apricot, buff, peach

Eye pencil: copper, brown, teal, purple

Lipstick: warm pink, apricot, coral, salmon,


spice, mango

Blush: light cinnamon, salmon, peach,


apricot mango
51
Golden Brown Yellow- Green Clear Golden Coral
Yellow

Cream
Warm Spring
Yellow GoldTomato
Palette Turquoise

Medium Grey Turquoise Light Moss Moss

Peach Light Navy Periwinkle Clear Salmon

Chocolate Brown Copper Violet Light Orange

Khaki Mint Rust Purple

Clear Red Lime Clear Aqua Teal

Teal Blue Mango Jade Gold jewelry

52
Cool Winter
Dominant Characteristic: Cool

Secondary Characteristic: Clear

Contrast level: Medium to High

The Cool Winter will have a cool clear look. Her natural hair color
will be dark and her eyes may be dark or be an intense blue or blue-
violet. Sometimes the eyes can be cool brown. A rosy glow may be
evident but more likely than not it will be the lack of warmth that
is the tell-tale sign of a Cool season. Indeed, golden yellows and oranges held against a cool
season can make them look ill.

Lots of fabulous blues are in your palette: Chinese blue, royal blue, sapphire blue, navy, hot
turquoise. Other cool-based colors include Emerald green, True blue-red, magenta and
fuchsia. You can also wear the “icy” colors like icy blue, icy pink, icy violet. Do not confuse
those with a pastel version of the color. Icy means clear and cool, not muted. Black, of
course, will look great on you as it does on all Winters.

Famous Cool Winters include Shania Twain, Lauren Graham and Brooke Shields

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: charcoal, navy, plum,


pink brown

Highlight: icy pink, silver, light grey

Eye pencil: black, charcoal, sapphire blue,


purple

Lipstick: raspberry, soft fuchsia, blue red,


magenta

Blush: pink, soft fuchsia, rose 53


Black Hot Pink Icy Green Pine Green

Pure White Icy Violet Cranberry Chinese Blue

Charcoal Clear Teal Dark red Icy Blue

Navy True Red Bright Periwinkle Rose Pink

Black Brown True Blue Emerald Green Royal Blue

Burgundy Fuchsia Raspberry Purple

Blue Violet Magenta Deep Orchid Hot Turquoise

Light Grey Aqua Icy Pink Silver jewelry

Cool Summer

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Cool Summer
Dominant Characteristic: Cool

Secondary Characteristic: Soft

Contrast level: Medium to high

The Cool Summer can exhibit an obvious pink or rosy glow,


but if they don’t, then the easiest way to tell if they are
indeed a cool season is to put a golden yellow fabric to their
face. The effect will not be flattering. Cool seasons need to
avoid warm undertones adamantly. Softer, more muted cool colors flatter you best, unlike
the stronger, clearer colors of the Cool Winter. Eyes will often be blue, but can be rose-
brown, gray-green, or blue green. Hair will often be brown or blonde with ash tones and no
red or golden tones.

As a cool season, blue will be prominent in your palette, along with cool pinks, aquas,
lavenders and greens. Avoid golden browns; there are cool browns you can wear, cocoa
being one of them. A great alternative to black will be your darkest gray. Try wearing the
same colors with different intensities for a fabulous look. For example, a dark blue blazer
and a medium blue blouse with a light blue scarf will look soft and beautiful on you.

Famous Cool Summers include Candice Bergen, Paulina Porizkova and Christie Brinkley

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: most shades of gray,


cocoa, blue, plum, taupe

Highlight: soft pink, light lavender, mint

Eye pencil: charcoal, navy, cocoa, gray,


taupe

Lipstick: soft fuchsia, pink, plum, mauve,


berry, rose

Blush: rose, soft fuchsia, soft pink


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Charcoal True Green Aqua Blue-Green

Soft White Soft fuchsia Cranberry Violet

Medium Grey Teal Cadet Blue Icy Blue

Cocoa Dusty Rose Periwinkle Orchid

Taupe True Blue Plum Chinese Blue

Navy Soft Burgundy Raspberry Purple

Teal Pink Sky Blue Turquoise

Lemon Yellow Grey Blue Powder Pink Silver jewelry

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Soft Summer
Dominant Characteristic: Soft

Secondary Characteristic: Cool

Contrast level: Medium to low

The Soft Summer can be easy to miscategorize. While there’s a


depth about you, it’s never deep enough to make you a Winter.
While soft cool colors flatter you best, your coloring is
noticeably more neutral than the Cool Summer, because you
have both warm and cool elements. Your hair will often lack any natural highlights and can
often be called “mousy.” Your eyes can be a soft blue, hazel, hazel-green or chocolate
brown. Chocolate brown-eyed Soft Summers often get mistaken for some sort of Winter. This
is where you need to look at the whole package of hair, skin and eyes to test which season
you are.

Rich velvety colors look best on you. Remember that “soft” refers to the chroma or clarity of
the season, and not the intensity. Therefore soft means muted, or dusty. There is an
underlying grayness to the colors. Indeed, most grays will look terrific on you, as will the
dusty blues, lavenders, pewters, and cool browns. Raspberry, orchid, soft burgundy, teal and
navy are other colors that will make you look vibrant. Avoid high-contrast color
combinations. Remember that “soft” is the most important aspect to choosing your colors.

Famous Soft Summers include Sarah Jessica Parker, Carmen Electra and Jennifer Aniston

Makeup suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: gray, charcoal, cocoa,


plum, dusty blue

Highlight: soft pink, light gray, opal, sky blue

Eye pencil: charcoal, indigo, cocoa, plum

Lipstick: dusty rose, soft plum, rose brown,


sandy pink, mauve

Blush: soft pink, rose, warm brown, sandy


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pink
Charcoal Jade Lavender Warm Pink

Medium Grey Sky Blue Cranberry Chinese Blue

Soft White Teal Orchid Eggplant

Blue Red Light Navy Periwinkle Rose

Rose Brown Medium Blue Grape Cadet Blue

Caramel Burgundy Raspberry Purple

Antique Rose Soft Fuchsia Grey-Blue Pine

Deep Teal Emerald Turquoise Powder Pink Silver & Gold


jewelry

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Soft Autumn
Dominant Characteristic: Soft

Secondary Characteristic: Warm

Contrast level: Medium to low

Like your sister season “Soft Summer,” the “Soft Autumn” also
has a richness. While she is an Autumn, her coloring is quite
neutral compared to the Warm Autumn. It is sort of like your
coloring has been “de-saturated” a bit on your favorite photo-
editing software. Hair is very often considered mousy. Eyes can range from a soft amber
color to brown, soft blue or blue-green. There is not a lot of contrast between the hair,
eyes and skin.

Soft or muted and dusty colors are the best choices for you. Think of the warm color yellow:
Instead of a bright sunny yellow, think “mustard” or “buttermilk.” Instead of a clear
emerald green, think “moss” or “olive.” Instead of pure white, choose “ivory” or “buff.”
There should be an underlying “grayness’’ to your colors, so avoid overpowering clear colors
that can look clownish on you. A great alternative would be olive, since black will drain
color from your face. Your best neutrals include camel, khaki, stone and medium brown.
Included in your palette are teal, salmon, purple and turquoise. Avoid high-contrasting
colors. Keeping your colors blended and soft will bring a rich and elegant glow.

Famous Soft Autumns include Calista Flockhart, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: bronze, olive, most


browns, warm gray

Highlight: peach, honey, buttermilk,


champagne

Eye pencil: brown, copper, teal, light navy,


sage

Lipstick: peach, warm pink, terracotta,


spice, apricot
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Dark Brown Grey Green Topaz Light Peach

Ivory Mint Deep Rose Mahogany

Camel Light Navy Deep Periwinkle Tomato

Rust Salmon Watermelon Light Lemon


Yellow

Khaki Light Lime Green Light Moss Medium Grey

Olive Terra Cotta Bronze Purple

Teal Warm Pink Forest Green Cadet Blue

Turquoise Jade Peach Gold & Silver


jewelry

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Clear Spring
Dominant Characteristic: Clear

Secondary Characteristic: Warm

Contrast level: High

If you take a typical Spring and turn the wattage up all the
way, you get a Clear Spring. Your “chroma” is fully saturated.
No dusty muted colors for you. Clear and bright colors work
best. Your eyes will most likely be clear and bright and will
often be jewel-like and sparkly. Blue, blue-violet, green or bright hazel will be common. The
whites of your eyes will be a bright white, crisp and contrasting with your sparkly iris. Your
skin will likely have a translucent quality about it. Your hair can range from medium to dark
brown to a clear translucent blonde. And while you favor predominantly warm colors, you
can wear clear some cool colors as well. But your overall look is more neutral than the Warm
Spring. Your palette contains colors that overpower most of the other seasons. On you they
harmonize with your bright coloring. You are the only Spring that has black in your palette,
but it looks best when combined with a bright contrasting color like lime or hot pink. Pale
earth tones or sugary pastels should be avoided as they will drain the vitality from your face.

Famous Clear Springs include Julianne Hough, Heather Graham, and Jenny McCarthy.

Makeup Suggestions:

Eyeshadow - Contour: rich brown, teal blue,


bronze, periwinkle, purple

Highlight: peach, light gold, mint, lemon

Eye pencil: teal, brown, camel, purple

Lipstick: clear red, peach, warm pink,


apricot

Blush: salmon, warm pink, apricot, light


clear red

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Black Lime Green Bright Golden Chinese Blue
Yellow

Soft White True Red Mango Warm Pastel Pink

Charcoal Clear Teal Icy Violet Clear Aqua

Navy Coral Pink Bright Periwinkle Royal Blue

Ivory True Blue Coral Hot Pink

Black Brown Aqua Icy Pink Lemon Yellow

Deep Teal Icy Blue Mint Purple

Hot Turquoise Clear Salmon Emerald Green Gold & Silver


jewelry

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Clear Winter
Dominant Characteristic: Clear

Secondary Characteristic: Cool

Contrast level: High

The Clear Winter is the Winter with the highest wattage and
the highest contrast. Your eyes, like the Clear Spring, will be
bright and sparkly, often blue but sometimes blue-violet or
bright hazel. The whites of your eyes will be the whitest of
white. Your skin often has a clear or porcelain quality to it. Your hair is usually black or dark
brown.

Clear cool colors work best for you. Think of the beautiful jewel-like colors of sapphire blue,
emerald green, ruby red, and amethyst as they are included in your palette. A winning color
combination for you would be black and pure white, or black and hot pink, or any other dark
vs. bright color combo. Have fun with your vivid colors and avoid anything pale and soft. Icy
colors are good, pastels are not. And totally steer clear of soft or pale earth tones.

Famous Clear Winters include Courtney Cox, Megan Fox and Paula Deen.

Makeup Suggestions:

Eye shadow - Contour: charcoal, navy, deep


plum

Highlight: pink, icy violet, icy blue

Eye pencil: black, charcoal, navy, plum, gray

Lipstick: cherry red, most clear pinks,


fuchsia

Blush: true red, pink, clear plum, strawberry

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Black Emerald Green Pine Indigo

Pure White Clear Aqua Raspberry Chinese Blue

Charcoal Clear Teal Icy Violet Lemon Yellow

Navy True Red Bright Periwinkle Hot Pink

Black Brown True Blue Royal Blue Mint

Icy Grey Fuchsia Blue Red Purple

Taupe Icy Blue Icy Violet Crimson

Hot Turquoise Deep Rose Icy Pink Silver & Gold


jewelry

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The 4x4 Color System®
Now that you have a good understanding of the 12- season color system, it’s time to move on
to the even more advanced and precise 16-season color system. That’s right. There are
actually now 16 clearly defined categories of seasons.

The 16-season system, officially called the 4x4 color “Common sense is instinct.
system®, was developed by Certified Image Professional Enough of it is genius.”
Consultant Ferial Youakim, AICI CIP. Ferial found that
there were some gray areas in the 12-season system. - George Bernard Shaw
Literally! What was missing as you will see below, is the
element of gray.

So she went back to the beginning, studying the color wheel as far back as Isaac Newton
(known to have created the first color wheel) and up to Albert Munsell’s color theories. After
studying color exhaustively, Ferial came up with the 16-season system, officially named the
4x4 color system®.

If you’ve ever taken any art or design classes, you probably are familiar with the terms tints,
tones and shades. A tint is a color that has white added to it. A tone is a color that has gray
added to it. And a shade is a color that has black added to it.

Here’s an example using the color Red:

What Ferial discovered was that the 12-season system was missing this Tone element. Below
is another color wheel you might have seen before that illustrates this principle.

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Note: Ferial’s discovery didn’t change or alter the existing 12 seasons, other than help
understand them a bit clearer, but it did add one more season to each of the four main
seasons.

Overall, in the new system, there are still the main four seasons of Winter, Summer, Spring
and Autumn, but each will have four sub-categories that will contain:

1. The purest and most saturated colors for that main season (pure colors)
2. The lightest colors for the main season (tints)
3. The most muted colors of the main season; also middle-intensity level (tones)
4. The deepest colors of the main season (shades)

To create a universal language everyone can understand, she has labeled the following
seasons to match its characteristic. For example, each season will either be a

PURE, TINTED, TONED or SHADED SEASON. I will use both names in this book and on my site
so people can match up the new names with the old.

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This is how the 4 main seasons are categorized further:

SPRINGS
Clear Spring or Pure Spring: Purest colors, most saturated

Light Spring or Tinted Spring: A touch of white added (or tint)

Light Spring Soft or Toned Spring: This is a new category. A touch of gray added (or tone).
Remember this is just a light “toasting” of Spring, which is already a light
and clear season.

Warm Spring or Shaded Spring: A touch of black added, or shade. Remember it is just a
touch and it is the “deepest” of the Spring seasons, who are all Light Clear
and Warm to begin with.

SUMMERS
Cool Summer or Pure Summer: The purest of the Summer colors, a season that is already a
“soft” or muted season overall.

Light Summer or Tinted Summer: The lightest of the Summer colors.

Soft Summer Light or Toned Summer: This is the season that has gray added to it. A soft
neutral season.

Soft Summer Deep or Shaded Summer: This is a new category. This has black added to
it which makes it the deepest of the summer colors.

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AUTUMNS
Warm Autumn or Pure Autumn: The purest and most saturated of the already muted
season.

Soft Autumn Light or Tinted Autumn: Adding a touch of white to an already muted season
makes it quite light and neutral.

Soft Autumn Deep or Toned Autumn: This is a new category. A deeper, richer autumn
(gray added) but not so deep as to make it a Deep Autumn.

Deep Autumn or Shaded Autumn: The deepest of the Deep Autumns (black added).

WINTERS
Clear Winter or Pure Winter: The clearest and most saturated colors.

Cool Winter or Tinted Winter: A slight touch of white makes it the lightest of the Winters.

Deep Winter Soft or Toned Winter: This is a new category. A touch of gray added, which
mutes the clearest winter colors, but only slightly.

Deep Winter or Shaded Winter: Black added creates the deepest of the Winters.

So how does this play out with real people? Here are photos of each of the 16 categories.

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Springs
Pure Tinted Toned Shaded

Clear Spring Light Spring Soft Spring Warm Spring


Pure & saturated Lightest Medium/soft Deepest

Notice the “soft’ spring (3rd photo). See how lightly toasted she is, compared to the others?
And notice how the “deepest” of the Springs (4th photo) is still quite light when compared
to other “deep” seasons below. This is because she is after all a Spring, and they are the
lightest of all the other seasons.

Remember: All Springs have warm and light, relative to the other 3 main seasons.

You need to ask yourself if you need the most saturated of the colors (pure), the
lightest colors (tinted), mid-level and soft colors (toned), or the deepest colors (shaded) of
the main season.

This is the question you ask yourself every time you analyze someone.

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Autumns
Pure Tinted Toned Shaded

Warm Autumn Soft Autumn Light Soft Autumn Deep Deep Autumn

Purest colors Lightest Medium/soft Deepest

As you can see the “Soft Autumn” category from the 12 seasons was split into a lighter and
darker category. The purest colors for the Autumn season belongs to the Warm Autumn
but remember that even so, the colors are still muted overall since it is an Autumn season.

All Autumns are warm and muted. Beyond that, ask yourself the question:

”Do I need the most saturated of the colors (pure), the lightest colors (tinted), mid-level
and soft colors (toned), or the deepest colors (shaded) of the Autumn season?”

70
Summers
Pure Tinted Toned Shaded

Cool Summer Light Summer Soft Summer Light Soft Summer Deep

Purest colors Lightest Medium/soft Deepest

Like the Autumns, the “Soft Summer” category from the 12 seasons were also split into a
lighter and darker category. The Cool Summer wears the purest saturated colors for a
Summer.

All Summers are Cool and muted. Beyond that, ask yourself:

”Do I need the most saturated of the colors (pure), the lightest colors (tinted), mid-level
and soft colors (toned), or the deepest colors (shaded) of the Summer season?”

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Winters
Pure Tinted Toned Shaded

Clear Winter Cool Winter Deep Winter Soft Deep Winter

Pure colors Lightest Medium/soft Deepest

The big change here is the “soft” Winter. She still has the depth of a Winter but with the
noticeable touch of softness in her eyes and skin.

All Winters are cool and clear overall. Beyond that, ask yourself:

”Do I need the most saturated of the colors (pure), the lightest colors (tinted), mid-
level and soft colors (toned), or the deepest colors (shaded) of the Autumn season?”

The differences in all these seasons are subtle. But that means it’s also very precise. Ferial
was genius going back to the wheel and really studying the science of color, identifying its
principles and applying them to color analysis.

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Advanced color analysis works for EVERYONE
Traditionally it seemed that color analysis was really only effective for Caucasian people. If
you were African-American, Indian, or Asian or other ethnicity with “typically” dark hair,
eyes and skin, you were usually relegated to being a Winter. And it worked for some. But not
all. Once again, the 12- and 16-season color system changed this by taking into account
whether the person’s skin was warm or cool, clear or muted, light or dark. The key is to
determine these traits relative to your ethnicity. Some African-American women have
lighter skin than others; some are much cooler than others; eyes can range from icy clear to
the darkest black.

An African-American woman who is also a Soft Autumn will of course be darker in


comparison to a Caucasian Soft Autumn and therefore her best colors may be darker
compared to hers. But next to another African-American who is a Cool Winter, she will be
much lighter in comparison. The principles of soft neutral warm colors will still apply for the
African-American Soft Autumn. The palette will suit her perfectly, rather than looking, “just
ok.” That’s how precise the system is. In fact, it works for every person, regardless of race.

While you are more likely to find certain seasons within certain ethnic groups (Light Springs
and Summers in the Nordic races; Deep Winters in Indian races), don’t assume all dark-
skinned people are winters. It would be like assuming all light-skinned people are Springs,
and we know that is not the case. Look for one of the six dominant characteristics first. If
you can’t see one dominant characteristic, then find their undertone, determine their main
season from the four, and see what their “flow” is, or whether they would wear the most
pure color of the main season, slightly lighter colors, slighted muted, or much deeper than
the pure colors for the main season.

73
Here are some non-Caucasian Autumn examples:

Pure Tinted Toned Shaded

Warm Autumn Soft Autumn Light Soft Autumn Dark Deep Autumn

Pure and saturated A tint of white A tone of gray A shade of black

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Let’s take a closer look at two more examples:

Both have Deep coloring. Both have cool skin. Deep and Cool = Winter. But are they both
the same? No. The woman on the left is a Shaded Winter (Deep Winter) and the one on the
right is a Toned Winter (Deep Winter Soft.) The second woman has an element of softness to
her -- her eyes and her contrast level are slightly lighter than the first.

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The 12- vs. 16-Season color system
There are actually more similarities to the two systems than differences. The 16-season
system is actually just a refinement of the 12. It is more complete and more accurate, fitting
more people into their correct seasonal palette than before. But it doesn’t do so by coming up
with a new esoteric way of explaining things. In fact, the way she explains the 16-season
system shows you how the 12 seasons came to be, and even how the four seasons came to
be.

When I first learned the four-season system in the 80s, it worked for me. I was a Warm
Autumn and it was brilliant and I didn’t see a need for any changes. So when the 12 season
system came out I thought they were trying to fix something that wasn’t broken. Then I really
studied it and saw the brilliance of it. I found many people who didn’t fit nicely into one of the
four categories. I thought it was the most advanced system out there. And it still is a great
system and it works for many more women.

But it doesn’t work for everyone. What about the woman who has dark brown hair, brown
eyes and neutral/warm muted skin? She’s not deep enough to be a Deep Autumn and most
examples of the Soft Autumn models seem much lighter in coloring than hers. And warm
autumn colors are just too warm for her. She finds a home with the new Soft Autumn Deep
category! Likewise, the Light Spring who found the light and bright colors of that palette a
little too bright, but the Soft Autumn palette too deep and/or boring, fits perfectly in the Light
Spring Soft category.

To the untrained eye, this system may look unnecessarily complicated. Trying to pick out the
subtle differences is not easy sometimes. For the average non-image professional, the 12-
season system may seem just as complicated. It is an advanced field of study. It takes time to
understand the theory and concepts behind it and even longer time to see how it plays out in
the faces of real people. This is why good image consultants cost hundreds of dollars per hour.
For those whose passion is to be a professional color analyst, I think training in the 16-season
system is essential, for it will expand your horizons greatly and make you a better Image
Consultant for your clients.

I had the pleasure of training with Ferial personally. Besides being one of the nicest people in
the business, she knows her stuff. She uses basic common sense principles to train you to be
the best image consultant you can be.

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For those who don’t necessarily aspire to be a color analyst but want to desperately find their
right colors, the 16 seasons will do that for you. If you don’t see yourself fitting quite
comfortably in one of the 12 seasons, chances are you are one of the new four categories in
the 16 seasons.

For more information about training with Ferial, go to

http://www.imageconsultantstraining.com/

Test your analysis skills on this woman


What do you think her season is?

My analysis is this:

 Neutral-Cool skintone (absence of warmth;


slightly pink cheeks)
 Mid-level intensity
 Chroma is softly muted (not clear or bright)
 The above traits signal SUMMER, but which one?
 Of the 4 choices of Pure, Tinted, Toned or
Shaded, I would choose Toned (or Soft Summer Light).
She’s has some heaviness to her, more than a Light
Summer. But not deep enough for a Shaded Summer.
Pure summer colors would be too much and too
overpowering.

Results: Toned Summer

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FAQ’s about the 4x4 Color System®
Isn’t 16 overkill/too complicated/unnecessary?

To someone who fits neatly into one of the 12 seasons and who has a good understanding of
the system, 16 seasons can seem complicated. But if you are one of those people who were
labeled as a particular season and you just didn’t feel quite right, then no, additional seasons
are not overkill. It finally gives those people a place to call home.

I personally had identified two of the four seasons even before I had heard about the 16
seasons. I knew there were two types of Soft seasons - a lighter version and a darker version.
I usually would tell my Soft Summers and Soft Autumns to choose some of the lighter colors
or the deeper colors of their palettes, depending on their intensity level. So I was intrigued
when I heard about the new system and was quite curious to see if some of the new seasons
had taken the Soft seasons’ intensity levels into account. Indeed it did. So the new Spring and
Winter season that had a muted quality to it intrigued me further. After really studying these
seasons, I found that I HAD actually seen them, but I had labeled them incorrectly. Many of
the deepest Soft Summers I had described as “deep, velvety…almost winter-like” but who
“could not handle deep and bright colors like most winters.” These winter-like soft summers
were actually Deep Winter Softs.

The other area where I sometimes got it wrong was the Soft Autumns, most notably those
that were very light (again, I knew there were lighter ones and darker ones) but sometimes
there were those light soft autumn that were so light and spring-like, but that clearly couldn’t
handle the clarity and relative brightness of the Light Spring palette. There was a muted
quality to them. And who ever heard of a “soft spring”? Or even a “soft winter”? Soon
everyone will when they learn Ferial’s system and they will see it makes total sense. So some
of the people (clients and celebrity examples on my website) I now need to re-label.

Are their corresponding Swatches to go with the 4x4 color system?

Yes! They are available on my website www.prettyyourworld.com

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What’s the difference between a Light Spring Soft and a Soft Autumn Light? And
what’s the deciding factor between a Soft Summer Deep and a Deep Winter Soft?
They seem very similar to me.

All of the seasons are part of the “flow system’” color theory, so there is some overlap of
colors and some colors may look quite similar. But there are differences, albeit subtle ones.
That is why this system is so accurate and precise.

Specifically, the difference between the Light Spring Soft or “Toned Spring” and the soft
Autumn Light or “Tinted Autumn” is mainly intensity and chroma. Remember that with the Soft
Autumn Light, you are taking the purest of the Warm Autumn colors (which are already warm
colors that are muted) and adding a tint of white to it. So colors will be that much more muted
and neutral. Light Spring Softs will have more luminosity than the Soft Autumn Lights and will
of course be lighter in value.

Similarly, the Deep Winter Soft will be deeper in intensity that the Soft Summer Deep
(remember that Winters are always more deep and intense than Summers.) Most Winters can
pull off the color black whereas most Summers would feel a bit overwhelmed. While Deep
Winter Softs have a touch of muted-ness that other Winters don’t have, they will still be able
to wear many of the clear winter colors that most Summers could not get away with.

Can you offer some more of the key differences between the 16 seasons vs. the 12
seasons?

As far as approaches go to color analyzing someone, instead of looking for the dominant
characteristic first, use the alternate method to find the main season just as I described
previously. Once you have the main season - Winter, Summer, Autumn or Spring - then ask
yourself the following:

Can this person handle the purest, most saturated colors for this season? If yes, they would be
one of the “pure” seasons (which include Clear Winter, Cool Summer, Warm Autumn and Clear
Spring).

If the answer is no, ask whether they need lighter colors or deeper colors than the purest
colors. If the answer is lighter, then they would be one of the “tinted” seasons (which include
Cool Winter, Light Summer, Soft Autumn Light, or Light Spring.)

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If the answer is that they need darker and more muted colors than the purest hues, then you
would be one of the middle/muted seasons (which include the Deep Winter Soft, Soft Summer
Light, Soft Autumn Deep, or Light Spring Soft).

If none of those options above work, see if the client needs the deepest colors for that main
season (which includes Deep Winter, Soft Summer Deep, Deep Autumn, and Warm Spring.)

Here is a photo that illustrates the concept:

From left to right, the colors represent a Pure fuchsia (suitable for a Clear Winter), a slightly
tinted fuchsia (suitable for a Cool Winter), fuchsia tinted with gray (suitable for a Soft or
Toned Winter), and the same color shaded with black (perfect for a Deep Winter). Visualize
this concept when you analyze everyone….do they need the purest colors of their main
season, tinted, toned or shaded colors? This is the essence of the 4x4® concept when
compared to others systems. And it’s the most accurate, in my opinion.

Keep in mind that the best palette of colors for any season will not mean that ALL of the colors
will be either pure, tinted, shaded, etc. Because seasons flow into each other, there will be
overlapping colors in each palette. But there will also be those colors that are unique to each

80
season. It is finding the perfect mix of these colors that suit your coloring and your personality
that help you find your personal look.

Lastly, each color analysis system will have a slightly different interpretation of a particular
season. Even those systems that have the same name/concept, for example, such as Cool will
have slightly different colors and names. Why is this? With regard to swatches, printing
methods are different. Depending on whether they use card stock or fabric, it will affect the
way the pigment is absorbed and reflected. But most important, color swatches really are an
arbitrary group of colors. There are literally hundreds of variations of colors that could be
included in a swatch for a particular season. How do you choose which 50-60 colors get
included? This is where the designers of the swatches put their own spin on things. Most
though, will include the best deep neutrals, the best light neutrals and then the best “fun” or
fashionable colors, and those that are unique to that season. So don’t expect each
manufacturer to have the exact same colors and at the same time, do not worry about
matching each color exactly. As I said, any color can be slightly lightened, darkened, warmed,
cooled, etc., and it can still work wonderfully for you.

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General Color Analysis FAQs
Will my season ever change? As we age, our coloring typically becomes softer and cooler.
Therefore, if you are a Deep Winter, you might find you can wear more colors of the “Cool
Winter” palette. Likewise, if you are a Warm Autumn, as you age you may be flattered by
more of the Soft Autumn colors. However, other than aging, you will not change from one
season to another even if you dye your hair, develop a deep tan and get colored contact
lenses. You can try to push the boundaries of your coloring with these methods, but keep in
mind:

1. They are often very high maintenance and costly.


2. Often they do not work and in fact can look quite artificial. It’s always easiest and
most natural-looking to honor your natural coloring. It’s how nature intended.

Isn’t being tied to one palette limiting? There are 48 colors in each seasonal color palette
(full color palettes can be found at the end of this book), I would never call it limiting. And
keep in mind that each palette is a guideline; meaning there are endless variations of each
color in the palette. Often women find, after studying their palettes, that there are more
choices in colors than they could have imagined!

But I love Pink and I’m a Warm Autumn! You have a favorite color and it’s not listed as one
of your colors in your palette. In fact, it’s specifically listed as one to avoid. Do you avoid it
as suggested? Never give up something you love. Just work with it. How? Try to find a shade
of your favorite color that does fit in your season. A “Warm Pink” is one of those universal
colors that flatter everyone. Remember that the right colors are less important as you move
away from your face. How about a pink skirt with a chocolate brown top? Last, you can
always enjoy your favorite color in other ways: painting your bedroom, buying furniture in
that color, or always having fresh flowers in your favorite color on your dinner table, for
example.

I have a very dynamic personality. I can’t see myself wearing those pastels in my Light
Summer palette. There are definitely psychological connotations with certain colors to be
sure. However, there are strong connotations, too, when people wear their wrong colors.
Their makeup can look artificial and amateurish. The person can just come off as “clueless”
as to how to look polished and together. Within each season, there are myriad color choices
including neutrals and more traditionally “powerful” colors. When you wear what
harmonizes with your coloring, you look younger, alive, confident, energized — and that is a
powerful thing.

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Black is a staple of my wardrobe but not a color
in my palette. Am I supposed to give up wearing
black? Black has unique qualities all by itself. It
helps one look slimmer. It goes well with almost
every other color. In the right environment, it can
be seen as professional and contemporary, or
mysterious and sexy. With so much going for it, I
wouldn’t expect people to give it up entirely
because it wasn’t one of their best colors.

As stated previously, if it’s not a color that flatters


your face, eyes and hair, wear it away from the face
as much as possible. For example, a black top will
be easier to wear the lower the neckline is; a black
turtleneck will not be good. Wear scarves in one of
your “power” colors. Always wear your makeup in
the right colors even if your wardrobe is not. Make
sure the blouses and camisoles worn under a black
suit or blazer are some of your “power” colors. Last,
the more skin that shows, the less impact a bad
color has on you. A spaghetti-strapped little black
dress won’t have so much of an impact as an all-
black long sleeved pantsuit.

Pay most attention to the “Hot Zone” in selecting


your best colors. This includes hair color, makeup,
earrings, necklaces, scarves and necklines.

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Here are some of the 12 seasons that may look similar and how they are
differ from each other

Cool Winter vs. Deep Winter


Deep Winters may have an element of warmth to their skin (like olive) or eyes (like red-
brown) but cool hair. They won’t have so much warmth as a Deep Autumn, though. Cool
Winters will have cool eyes, cool hair and cool skin; an obvious lack of warmth. Warm colors
will make cool seasons look pale or sick. Deep Winters will have deep blue, hazel or brown
eyes. Sometimes a Cool Winter does have brown eyes, but their skin is unmistakably cool
with no olive or warm tones at all. If their skin is super cool, then they would be a Cool
Winter, not a Deep.

Deep Winter vs. Soft Summer


Some brown- or hazel-eyed Soft Summers will have a rich, velvety look to them that can be
mistaken for a Winter (or now with the 16 seasons, a Deep Winter Soft — see below).
However, their coloring stops short of being so deep that they are categorized as a Winter.
Black is too intense for them. Charcoal gray as well as most grays look great on Soft
Summers. Also, there is a softer and hazier look to Summers whereas Winters favor clearer
colors.

Light Summer vs. Cool Summer


There is an overall “Light” look to the Light Summer (tinted colors look best) whereas a Cool
Summer needs more intensity and saturated colors. The difference is that the Cool Summer
will lack any warmth. The Light Summer may have some warm overtones and will share some
of the more neutral-warm colors from the Light Spring palette.

Light Summer vs. Soft Summer


The big difference here is that the Soft Summer will have a heavier appearance than the
Light Summer. Both will have a more neutral look than the Cool Summer, yet will clearly
look better in cool colors than warm. Think faded denim for the Light Summer and blue
velvet for the Soft Summer. Light Summers can sometimes appear Spring like, since they
“flow’ into Spring. You will often see sunny warmth in their skin, eyes or hair that you don’t
find in other Summers. But they clearly favor light cool pastels over Spring colors. Test
drape to discover the difference.

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Warm Spring vs. Soft Autumn
Both seasons can look similar at first glance. But the key difference is that Springs are
generally lighter and brighter than Autumns overall. Some Warm Springs have flaming red
hair and clear blue eyes and their season is obvious. But not always. If the coloring is more
subdued, it can be confused with the Soft Autumn. This is where test draping is key. Adding
clear warm colors next to a Warm Spring will make it come alive. It will be too golden and
yellow for the Soft Autumn, whose coloring is quite neutral. Also, Soft Autumns love very
muted colors like olive and mustard whereas the Warm Spring, like all springs, favors more
clear and delicate colors.

Clear Winter vs. Cool Winter


These two seasons are easy to confuse but there’s one key factor when it comes to the Clear
Seasons: the eyes. A Clear Winter and a Cool Winter may well have cool blue eyes. But the
Clear Winter’s eyes will be clear and bright. Sparkly eyes are common in both Clear Seasons.
Where the Cool Winter may have pretty blue eyes, the Clear Winter’s may be a striking
jewel-like sapphire blue. If the eyes are not striking (think a young Liz Taylor), they are
most likely not a Clear season. Clear Winters may have a slight warm overtone to their skin
(this is the Spring influence.) Overall, the Clear Winter can wear the most saturated cool
colors available. Cool Winters may be slightly lighter (a touch of tint or white may be added
to them.)

Some of the most confused seasons from the 4x4® are explained above in the FAQ’s
section.

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More general tips when analyzing yourself:

 If an obvious season does not jump out at you, do the next best thing: start
eliminating the seasons that you are obviously NOT. If you have naturally blonde hair
and gray/blue eyes, you can immediately eliminate “Deep” and “Warm” seasons.
That makes four seasons you can cross off right there.
 Do you know that black makes you look pale and weak? You can be sure you are not
any type of Winter, since Black is a definite power color for all Winters.
 Do yellow and orange make you look sick? You can knock off the warm seasons from
the equation. Yellow, or some form of it, is intrinsic to Warm seasons.
 Do pink and fuchsia look clown-like on you? Chances are you are a Warm season, as
cool pinks and purples can look completely artificial on you.
 Is there one specific color that you know looks absolutely fabulous on you? See if it’s
one of the power colors for a specific season. Most likely you are that season.
However, there are a handful of “universal” colors that generally look good on
everyone. Purple is one of those colors. So is teal, navy, warm pink, and true green,
and most colors that are a perfect balance of warm and cool colors (ex: green=warm
yellow + cool blue)

Just a few universal colors are above. Because they are so adaptable to so many
seasons, you will often find uniforms made out of these colors. Also, these can be
pretty safe choices in makeup. For example, if you don’t want to find multiple shades
of blush, if you find one good warm pink, you won’t go wrong.

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As We Age
As stated previously, aging is the only time your
season may actually change to another season. As we
age, our colors tend to become more cool and soft.
Colors may become less vivid and intense. If you
maintain your hair color by covering gray hair, this
effect will not be so evident. Also by modifying your
makeup a bit, you can help counter the effects of
aging too.

However, if your hair is almost 100% gray, if you


choose to, you could successfully make the switch to
the following seasonal palettes. This will only apply if
your coloring has dramatically cooled or softened and
the colors you always wore before seem too intense or warm for you now.

Winters: Clear and Deep Winters may turn into a Cool Winter.

Already Cool Winters whose coloring really softens can turn into a Cool Summer season,
especially if you have pale blue eyes.

Deep Winter Softs may turn into either of the Soft Summers, depending on their intensity
level.

Summers: Cool Summers will stay the same season; their intensity may just soften.

Both Soft Summers may change to a Cool Summer, or a Light Summer if they have lightened
significantly.

Light Summers might remain the same or become strictly a Cool Summer.

Springs: Light Spring Softs and Warm Springs may lighten to a Light Spring or if the
warmth in their coloring really cools, they could turn into a Light Summer.

Clear Springs, if enough strength in their coloring remains, may change to a Cool Winter or if
the cooling is not so extreme, may change to a Light Spring. If coloring lightens and cools,
they may change to a Light Summer.

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Light Springs may stay the same or cool to a Light Summer.

Autumns: Warm Autumns and Deep Autumns may soften to a Soft Autumn.

Both Soft Autumns will often stay a Soft Autumn, just a cooler version.

These guidelines are just general facts based on how coloring tends to cool, soften, and
lighten. Remember that maintaining your hair color can
help keep a youthful appearance. While there is certainly
nothing wrong with allowing your hair to gray, and it can be
quite striking and beautiful, generally speaking, most
people associate gray hair with aging. Covering the gray
will help you look younger. Just remember choose a shade
that is several shades lighter than what your natural color
once was for the most natural look.

Personally I am finding my Warm Autumn coloring losing a


lot of its golden warmth as I age. However, if I wear colors
strictly from the Soft Autumn palette, I find that the colors
are simply not warm enough for me. I still need golden
colors to look my best. Perhaps in a decade or so that Soft
Autumn palette may work for me but as of right now, the
colors are too neutral. I tell you this so that you understand
these are just general guidelines and you certainly don’t
want to jump to a new season unless those colors really do
flatter you best. Often it can be enough to simply choose
the softest and coolest colors from your palette rather than switch to a whole new one.

When I analyze clients who, for example, are quite mature and whose hair is completely
white and whose eye color has faded, I will ask for a picture of them when they were
younger, particularly when their hair color had not yet started to gray (although I do this
often in younger people, especially those who alter their hair color dramatically or just to
double-check my analysis). What I do is try to determine what season they were, and ask
them if they were planning on coloring their hair and altering their makeup. If so, knowing
what their season was can help us take the little bit of their former coloring that is left — it
is usually in the eyes -- and build up from there. But always remember to tone down hair and
makeup colors for the most natural look.

There are, however, general guidelines, particularly when it comes to makeup that will help
everyone look younger:

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 Avoid shiny and frosted makeup, which can reveal and highlight every wrinkle you
have no matter how minor.
 Choose the best neutral colors from your palette for your makeup. The adage “less is
more” truly applies in this situation. It isn’t just another admonishment to ‘‘act your
age’’ or anything like that, it simply does look better.
 Emphasize lashes with several coats of mascara, avoiding bottom lashes which can
cast under eye shadows. Avoid eyeliner on the lower part of eye for the same reason,
unless you line the inside rim, which has a lifting effect.
 The color of your natural lip line can fade. Invest in a perfectly neutral lip pencil to
line your lips and fill in with a soft flattering shade from your palette. It’s best to
lighten up the color of your lipstick, avoiding bright overpowering colors and very dark
shades. Again, the best natural shade from your palette is best.
 Invest in the best quality foundation you can afford. Foundation alone can erase
multiple signs of aging like shadows under the eye and between the bridge of the nose
and the tear duct of the eye. It helps cover redness that may be present on the base
of the nose, chin and cheek area. It helps camouflage fine lines and other skin
imperfections. Foundation is a must have.
 Maintain well-manicured eyebrows. A beautiful arch helps ‘‘lift’’ the face. Have a
professional shape them first and then just clean up any strays at home with
tweezers.
 Blush can help you mimic that youthful glow. A pretty shade of peach (for warm
seasons) and pink (for cool seasons) put right on the apple of your cheeks (blended
well of course) will help brighten your face.
 Kick your anti-aging skin care routine into high gear with retinols, alpha hydroxy acids
and sunblock. Fresh well-cared for skin always looks youthful.

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Hair Color

“How does hair color play into Seasonal Color Theory?”

“Is there an ideal hair color for each season?”

“Should I cover my grey hair or let nature take over?”

“I desperately want to be a fiery redhead, but I’m a Cool Summer. Can I pull it off?”

*************************************************************************************

Hair is one of the very first things people notice about a person. Think about it: you will notice a
woman is a brunette long before you see her eye color or makeup for that matter. Getting your hair
color to harmonize with your natural coloring is essential to your total image.

There are endless choices of hair care products out there. Along with them come just as many
questions about which colors to choose for yourself. Luckily, this is where the Advanced Seasonal
Color Theory can help. Knowing your Season will help you choose the right hair color, just as it does
with your makeup and wardrobe.

Most of the seasonal guidelines for makeup and wardrobe also apply to hair color. The key is to
harmonize your natural coloring. For example, a light-skinned, light blue-eyed Light Summer will
look unnatural and unflattering with jet black hair. Only some Winter seasons, and some Deep
Autumns will have naturally black hair. Likewise, a brunette Deep Winter will look extremely washed
out if she tries to bleach her hair to a full blonde.

Can you imagine a young Liz Taylor with bleached blond hair? Or Princess Diana with jet black hair?
What about Sophia Loren as a wishy-washy brunette? No way. They knew what looked best on them
and that was to honor their natural coloring to its fullest potential.

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In general it is best to keep your hair color within 2-3 shades of your natural color. Anything beyond
that will tend to look artificial, not to mention be high maintenance.

Here are some more general guidelines specifically for each season. Keep in mind these are just
suggestions. There will be times when you might want to lighten up a bit, like in the summer, for
example. Or you’ve decided to take control of your gray hair and become that beautiful brunette
you were years ago. Whatever changes you do make, you should adjust your makeup colors
accordingly. For example, if you are a Deep Winter with very dark hair and you want to add some
caramel highlights to suggest having spent the summer in the tropics, that fine. But now you will
want to light up your makeup just a bit by maybe replicating the caramel color as a highlighter in
your eyeshadow or giving yourself a touch of honey bronzer to match the look. If you darken your
hair, you may need to wear more bold eye and lip colors.

WINTERS:

Your hair will most likely be naturally dark to start with. While it’s ok to add some carefully placed
caramel or dark blond highlights, just go easy, and avoid the temptation to “go blonde.’’ It will
simply not flatter you; it will wash out your rich coloring, and make you look pale.

Most Winters gray gracefully, but if you choose to cover your gray, remember to choose a lighter
shade than normal. No matter how dark your hair color was when you were younger, as you age, hair
will naturally become softer and lighter, so covering it with a too-dark shade will look fake. All
Winters’ undertone is cool and if it changes at all, it will only get cooler so avoid red or golden
highlights.

AUTUMNS

Of all the seasons it is those who have naturally warm hair (red and golden) who have the most
difficulty with the graying process as it significantly alters how they wear colors. Using warm red,
golden blondes and auburn shades will help maintain the warmth in your coloring. If your hair is
naturally brown, some golden or auburn highlights will help. If you don’t maintain your color and you
let it gray, but your skin and eyes are still quite warm, you would want to switch to a Soft Autumn
palette, which is the “coolest” and least saturated of the Autumns.

Both Soft Autumns (light/deep) often have flat, mousy hair so they benefit greatly from some warm
honey-colored highlights. Soft Autumn Lights can be quite light in their hair coloring but are not so
light as to make them a Spring. Try not to go too blond unless you really want a dramatic change.
Soft Autumn Deeps’ hair can be quite dark but rarely look good with too deep and flat hair color.
They really glow when they add some subtle warm highlights.

If you are a Deep Autumn, resist the temptation to lighten up your hair color if it is a naturally dark
shade. If your hair isn’t already a deep auburn, you can successfully “go red” if you make sure the
shades are deep and rich.

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SUMMERS

For Cool Summers, ash highlights will look terrific on you. Avoid warm, golden colors. Resist the urge
to be the “fiery redhead” since you simply do not have the warmth to pull it off. If you are a
brunette but were a blonde when you were a child, you can probably successfully go back to that
color now, just keep the colors more ashy than golden. Whether you are now a brunette or blonde,
the good news for you is that almost any gray you might encounter should be flattering and nothing
will need to be done chemically unless you really don’t like it.

Both Soft Summers’ (deep/light) hair color can often appear mousy. It can benefit greatly from ash
highlights. However, keep them subtle since high contrast is not the look you are
going for. You want a rich, but soft look to your hair. Highlighting your hair will help lessen the
appearance of any gray hair that will appear.

There is the risk of going overboard on ash tones and looking almost gray. A skilled professional hair
colorist can combine cool and slightly warm highlights to Summers to prevent this from happening
and to keep a fresh healthy look to your hair.

Light Summers in particular do not want to get too ashy. Their secondary season is Spring so they do
have a touch of warmth in their coloring. The key is to not get too warm.

SPRINGS

Many springs were blondes when they were younger and can maintain this successfully. Most gray
hair that shows up should blend in quite naturally. The key to your hair color is keeping it warm and
golden. Avoid ash shades and anything that is very dark.

If you hair gets very dark later in life, that’s ok. You can go with that but you will want to add some
warm highlights to keep the sun-kissed look of a Spring.

If you are a blonde or a light brown-haired Spring who really wants to be a fiery redhead, you can
probably do that but make sure it’s strawberry red or light red with some luminosity to it. Too deep
or autumn-like red will look too heavy for your delicate coloring.

More Tips:

If you choose a hair color that is not one of the more naturally enhancing shades for your season,
note that you will definitely have to adjust your makeup to accommodate the look. This is one
benefit to wearing your right colors: being able to wear less makeup and still shine!

Can you “change” your season by changing your hair color? The answer is technically no, but it is
possible to push the boundaries of your coloring. Learn more on the subject in the next chapter.

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Pushing the boundaries of your coloring
So I have preached enough that you should honor the natural color palette you were born with. It’s
simpler, cheaper and most effective. But if you are just itching to make a dramatic change, here are
some guidelines that will help make the change look more natural on you.

Changing your hair color is one of the most obvious ways to change your look. While it’s worth
repeating not to change so radically that you go completely against your dominant characteristic,
you can pull off a different look with the help of make-up and, for a more radical change, the use of
colored contact lenses. Since eye color is an important component to analyzing someone’s colors,
nothing can throw me off more than a natural looking pair of colored contact lenses on a person.
With this knowledge, you can use it to help you try to push yourself into another season. It’s easiest
to change into a different specific season within the bigger general season, for example changing to
from a Soft Autumn to a Warm Autumn. A Soft Autumn could conceivably color her hair to a pretty
strawberry, change her makeup to warm golden shades, and wear pretty green contacts. She has a
good chance of looking like a natural Warm Autumn. If this same Soft Autumn were to wear some
warm dark brown contacts, deepen her hair to a deep auburn and intensify her makeup, she might
be able to pull off a Deep Autumn look. However if she were to try to be a Cool Summer or a Clear
Winter, the results could look unnatural at best. I’m not saying she definitely could not pull it off,
but the chances are slim that it will look natural. The key thing to remember if you stubbornly want
to go for a radical new look is to modify your makeup (including foundation!) and hair, and eye color
if you can, so that those three elements will at least harmonize together.

Here are some more general tips:

 Try to avoid going in the opposite direction of your dominant characteristic such as
changing from a Light to a Deep, a Warm to a Cool, a Soft to a Clear.

 If you were a naturally blonde child, you can usually go blond as an adult quite
successfully. The same goes for red hair and any other color. Just remember that as
you age, you will want to color your hair a shade slightly lighter than what it was when
you were younger to look the most natural.

 Most summers look good as blondes — ashy blondes, not golden. If going all blond is
too high maintenance for you, then opt for some natural looking blonde highlights. Or
easier still, embrace your beautiful brunette hair. If you were always a brunette
summer, even as a child, then it is usually best to stick close to that coloring, perhaps
with some cool blonde highlights if you really want some blonde in your hair.

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 Most Warm Springs, Warm Autumns and Deep Autumns will look good as red heads.
Red-headed Springs will look best with strawberry tones, Warm Autumns with rich red
hair, and Deep Autumns with deep auburn. Remember to warm up your makeup when
you warm up your hair. Likewise, most redheads will look good with shades of green or
hazel green eyes.

 Unless your hair was truly black as a child, it’s best not to color your hair jet black. On
all but those with naturally black hair, this color is too flat and overpowering. Dark
brown is better. When you do darken her hair, remember to darken or intensify your
makeup as well. Have your eyebrows professionally dyed too, if they are light and your
new hair is very dark, or vice versa.

 Do you know someone who seems to be able to wear any color and look good? Chances
are she is some sort of “blended” season like a Soft Summer or Soft Autumn. Drew
Barrymore comes to mind. We’ve seen her in almost every hair color and she seems to
pull it off. She’s a Soft Autumn. With just a little effort, Soft Autumns can look like a
Warm Autumn, Light Spring, even a Soft Summer. That’s why I find that season the
hardest to determine and the easiest to get tripped up on. Soft Seasons seem to be
able to pull off many different looks.

As I stated in my previous chapter, hair color has a huge effect on a person’s coloring. It can either
harmonize or not harmonize with your natural coloring, but either way it will affect it. How much?
Well, let’s take a look at the model on the next page.

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In the picture on the left, you can see she is a natural Light Spring. However, since her skin is
already quite warm, warming up her hair to a beautiful red was not difficult. It looks great,
actually. This would push her into the category of a Warm Spring and she may want to warm up her
makeup as her Light Spring makeup may be too light and insignificant for her.

Let’s say you are a Soft Autumn with mousy brown hair. With no makeup and no natural highlights in
your hair, there is very little contrast in your overall look. Adding some honey highlights can really
make you sparkle. To play up the new ‘‘luminosity’’ in your coloring, adding some soft pretty
makeup, glossier lip color and gorgeous blouse in one of your power colors will make a huge
difference in your appearance. But don’t be tempted to think that if a little sparkle is good, a lot is
better. Bleaching your hair to a full platinum blonde will be overkill. If you are a “Soft” season, play
up the soft, subtle look that is unique to this season. Likewise, if you are a “Deep” season, play up
the dark, vivid look that is unique only to those seasons. Remember the special characteristics of
your season and honor those. They won’t steer you wrong.

The most difficult change to make is to try and go for a look that is opposite of your undertone and
intensity. With the same model, let’s illustrate this on the next page.

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Our model is a natural Light Spring, which means her undertone is Warm, her intensity is Light. Let’s
give her a dramatic black hair color and do nothing with the makeup. The effect? Hair color that is
too heavy and flat for her light warm coloring. Her face fades in comparison.

Add some clear aqua contact lenses for her eyes and apply makeup including foundation in cool clear
shades, and she can pull it off successfully. Most women of course don’t have the time, money or
desire to maintain such a look. They want to do the complete opposite and follow their natural
coloring to make their life easier. But if you really want to change your look dramatically, you can
definitely ‘‘alter your flow’’ with makeup, contacts and hair color.

Should you cover your gray hair? That’s totally up to you. Some Winters may develop beautiful
dramatic silver gray hair which can look stunning. For others, the cool gray hair will really wash out
the warm color it once was, like for a Warm Autumn. Many Autumns choose to warm up their hair
back to its original brilliance. If it’s flattering to you, then let the gray stay. If you hate it, then
cover it up. Most people DO associate gray hair with aging, though. It is just a fact. Coloring hair can
be effective in fighting off the signs of aging. Just follow the guidelines for your season.

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Men and Color
Color Analysis is not for women only. In fact, knowing their best colors is even more crucial for men
because they typically do not use all of the little tools we women use to modify our looks like
makeup, hair color, and multitudes of different clothes, scarves, earrings and other accessories. No,
men usually just have their trusty little shirt and sometimes a tie. Color for them can actually be one
of their most effective tools for looking their best but many just do not use it as such. I have
personally been told by some of my male clients that after they were analyzed and started to
implement their colors into their wardrobe, they immediately got compliments from people. Most of
the people were not quite sure what it was about them that was different, just that they looked
good.

All too often, especially in the business world,


men stick with their boring corporate blue shirt
(though if they are a Summer, blue is never
boring) and their safe khaki pants. While there is
nothing wrong with this color combo if it is in your
seasonal palette, for others it can just spell b-o-r-
i-n-g. There are, of course, certain professions
that will expect certain looks from men. The
business world is where you will find the
conservative suits of navy, gray and black. Not a
problem if those are some of your best colors. But
what if you were a Warm Autumn or Light Spring,
like our model (left)? Black can drain the vitality
from your face faster than any color. What you
want to do is to find the darkest neutral colors
from your palette. Every palette will contain your
best neutral colors. For example, in lieu of the
traditional black and navy, a Light Spring would
look best in a camel or moss. Almost all shades of
brown will look great on Warm Autumns so wear
them in place of charcoal which is way too cool
for your warm complexion. Until the 1980s, there
was a belief that wearing brown wasn’t really
appropriate for men in the business world. Things
have changed since then so if you are a warm
season, do not hesitate to wear the best shade of brown from your palette.

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The great news is that every season’s palette will contain enough neutral colors appropriate to wear
for the conservative business world and enough casual colors for every other occasion. Take the Cool
Summer palette as an example. Summers are famous for their pretty pastel colors like sky blue,
lavender and pink. However, their palette also contains endless shades of the very conservative and
professional colors of grey and navy. Instead of a black jacket, crisp white shirt, and royal blue tie, a
Cool Summer would look fabulous in a medium gray jacket, soft white shirt and medium blue tie.

Ties are one area where men are allowed some fun. It amazes me to see some of the most boring
suits on the planet paired with a wild and funky tie. I love it. Ties can have the same effect on men
as eyeshadow has on women. They can really enhance your eye color. Find the shade of color in your
palette that best matches your eye color and buy a tie in that shade. I guarantee you it will make
your eye color pop.

The system for figuring out their season is no different for men than
for women. The powerful impact it has is no different, either.
However, I will say that men are often much harder to analyze than
women. They don't let their hair grow out long enough to see their
natural highlights, which I find can be helpful in my analysis. They
don’t wear blush or eyeshadow which often tells me which colors
work and which do not. A bad color on someone can be just as
telling of a person’s season as a great color. Men don’t have all of
those different clues. If you’ve looked for a dominant characteristic
and you simply cannot identify one, then you will simply need to do
some test draping. This applies to both men and women who are
unsure of his or her dominant characteristic. Do the test draping and
see which ones look best. Ask a friend or two for their opinion if you
are stuck. In the end, it comes down to what looks great on you and
your test draping will ultimately tell you your season. Everyone
instinctively knows that there are at least a few colors they know
they look fabulous in. Go with those colors and see what season they
are a part of. And once you know your season, have fun with your
colors and look great every day!

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Take a look at my model Matt. The photo on the left shows him in a color that is too light and clear
(more appropriate for a light or clear Spring). But he is a Warm or Pure Autumn. Look how his olive
colored shirt brings out his eyes and totally harmonizes with his coloring? Again, without makeup and
accessories to wear like women do, wearing the right color is crucial for men.

Color Story: “Dressed Head-to-Toe in Cobalt Blue”


I once worked as a Host in an upscale restaurant in an exclusive club. Every day I would see
the usual suits of gray, navy and beige worn by the business people. But once there was a
young handsome man who came in wearing the most intense blue suit I’ve ever seen. Fully
saturated, it was a shade of cobalt blue that most people could never wear. He even wore a
matching tie and shoes! On anyone else it would have appeared clownish. As a business suit
color, it was daring to say the least. But he was a vivid Clear Winter; with dark hair and eyes
and a confident smile, it worked on him. He had made such a bold presence that day that I
remember it even years later. That’s the power of color!

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Now What?
So you’ve read everything and you are sure you know your season and you’re quite excited. Now
what do you do?

Essential: Every single color purchase from now on should only be one within your season. Over
time you will create a great working wardrobe that you know will look good on you all the time and
of which you will be able to mix and match effortlessly. Think of the time saved!

Essential: Go through your makeup drawer and eliminate colors you know are simply bad for
you. Notice how much money you’ve spent on wrong color choice. Don’t worry, though because you
know from now on this will never happen again.

Essential: Go through your wardrobe and eliminate the worst color choices hanging there. I
don’t care how much you paid for it (sell it on eBay to recoup some of the cost or donate to charity
for a tax benefit if the price of it is making you reluctant to part with it). There’s no reason on earth
anymore to wear colors that don’t help you look your best. If you are on a tiny budget and
eliminating so many pieces of clothing might leave you with a less-than-working wardrobe, then at
least find the colors that are your best and integrate those into your working wardrobe as much as
possible. Remember that items like tops, blazers and scarves are more important in terms of wearing
your best colors than pants are. For men, blazers, shirts and ties are crucial to get right. Then as
your budget allows, get rid of one less-than-good item for each new one you purchase.

Optional: Invest in a Deluxe Color Swatch in your season. Be sure they are part of the advanced
12- or 16-Season color theory only. The four seasons are outdated and incomplete. What I think are
the best swatches available today are offered at my site www.prettyyourworld.com/colorswatches. I
am now offering the 16-season swatches as well. Each color can be placed against clothing or even
makeup to make sure you can match up colors as accurately as possible. It’s a small investment that
will pay for itself many times over.

Investing in your appearance is a wise investment. There are too many statistics out there to ignore
that show that people who look good are perceived by others to be of higher intelligence, to be from
a higher socio/economic level, and to have fewer personality flaws. And to top it off, good-looking
people statistically have higher incomes. Whether this is fair or not is irrelevant. It’s simply a fact.
And instead of bemoaning this, use it to your advantage. Invest some money, time and effort to learn
the things that make YOU look your best. Not what makes the hottest new starlet look good (which
by the way, please know that 99% of the images you see of celebrities have been either airbrushed or

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retouched to look flawless. Comparing yourself to these images is pointless because they are simply
unattainable, since they aren’t even real!).

You need to find what makes YOU look fabulous. You need to find your own style, which reflects who
YOU really are. Discovering your natural color palette is the best and most important place to start.

Last words

I named this book “Color Revival” because I want to revive color analysis to the mainstream again.
Too often color analysts are lumped into a category of well-meaning but irrelevant people. While
researching the subject of hair color, I came across a book (I won’t name) by a hair expert who
basically said this about seasonal color analysts: “Whenever I encounter those types of people who
mean well but are clueless and hopelessly outdated, I just smile and humor them and promptly
ignore them. Clueless.” His attitude didn’t surprise me. When I worked in several salons fresh out of
beauty school, I encountered the same attitude from hairdressers. They would proclaim to their
client that the whole “season” thing is nonsense and anyone can wear any color they wanted to.
“There are no rules,” I’d often hear. Then they proceeded to tell their client exactly what they
should and shouldn’t do with their hair! So much for their “no rules” mantra.

I think most stylists who dislike the whole seasonal color concept simply don’t understand it, though
they’d never admit it. Actually, most hair stylists do have the general understanding about warm
tones vs. cool tones and apply the principles when they color hair. The fact is that the ash vs. golden
tones theory IS a part of the entire seasonal color theory. It’s just one part of it. Whenever any
fashion expert tells someone something like “purple is a great eyeshadow color for green eyes” or
your skin tone is too pale for such a dark hair color” or that “redheads should not wear red” (which
isn’t true, it just depends on the shade), they are indeed practicing seasonal color theory, even if
they are not aware of it.

Color analysis is not new, having been around for generations. It was wildly popular at one time, but
it was never a “fad.’’ Its principles are used every single day by people and professions, even if they
don’t understand them all. Most people have had someone say “wow, that’s your color” at some
time in their life. They might not have understood why it looked good, just that it did. Now you
know. There’s real science behind it and real changes can be seen once you begin adopting its
principles. Real money can be saved by never buying the wrong color again. Your confidence can
increase. For some people, like myself, it can totally change their lives.

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The Full Color Palettes for Each of the 12 Seasons
The following pages contain the full color palettes for each season. Let me explain what I mean by
“full” palettes. All the colors in each palette are colors that each season can wear successfully.
Some will look good on you and some will look fabulous. Some will be better suited for a core
wardrobe, like the neutral colors, and some will be better suited for accents, like bright or dramatic
colors. Keep in mind that these are guidelines only. There are endless variations of colors and you
will find thousands of interpretations of “purple” or “red” and “sage.” Additionally, in each palette
you’ll find some “universal” colors like Teal, Soft White, Taupe, Purple and other colors that are
generally flattering to everyone. They may or may not be your most flattering, but they won’t be
your worst. These are colors you will see often in uniforms since they generally flatter everyone.

I’ve included in each palette whether gold and silver is best as far as jewelry goes. Because all
except the four Cool and Warm seasons share colors from both sides of the temperature spectrum,
both gold and silver will be suitable for them, but only in accessories. A silver blouse is not the best,
for example, on a Soft Autumn, nor would a Gold dress be flattering to a Light Summer.

Again, these palettes are meant as guides only. As any artist can tell you, you can warm up or cool
down any color by adding yellow or blue; make it lighter or darker by adding white or black; muddy
it up by combining it’s opposite on the color wheel. You can even alter a color dramatically simply by
placing it next to other specific colors. So don’t take things too literally. Just follow them as a
guideline.

Have fun with your colors!

Last Question: Why no full color palettes for the 16 seasons?


Because many of the colors are quite similar with very subtle differences (think gray,
light gray, deep gray, charcoal for example), the differences may be hard to distinguish
in a book. Simply put, it is much easier to just purchase a swatch for the exact physical
representation of the colors if you are one of the new seasons. Besides, I did not want
to include proprietary information of the new 4x4 Color System as it is so new and
exclusive to Ferial’s launch. Visit PrettyYourWorld.com for more information about
these new seasons as well as wardrobe and celebrity examples.

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Turquoise Navy Tomato red
Emerald green Burgundy Rust
Forest green Pure white Blue red
Pine Black Burgundy
Olive Charcoal Aubergine
True green Pewter Mint
Gold Black brown Icy green
Emerald turquoise Mahogany Icy yellow
Teal Brown gray Lemon yellow
Clear teal Med gray Icy violet
True blue Hot pink Icy pink
Silver Raspberry Soft white
Hot turquoise Magenta Stone
Chinese blue Fuchsia Taupe
Bright periwinkle Cranberry Icy Blue
Purple True red
Royal blue Mango

Deep Winter Palette

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Taupe Bittersweet Bronze
Pewter Tomato red True green
Gray green True red Emerald green
Black brown Terracotta Forest green
Charcoal Rust Mint
Black Mahogany Hot turquoise
Soft white Brown burgundy Chinese blue
Ivory Aubergine Turquoise
Cream Yellow gold Emerald turquoise
Stone Marigold Pine
Camel Mustard True blue
Buttermilk Light moss Teal
Light peach Moss Navy
Deep peach Gold Purple
Salmon pink Lime Deep periwinkle
Mango Olive Silver

Deep Autumn Palette

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Camel Light Orange Emerald Turquoise
Khaki Mango Light Teal
Pewter Rose Pink Clear Aqua
Light Grey Coral Pink Light Aqua
Med Grey Warm Pink Mint
Blue Charcoal Deep Rose Powder Blue
Soft White Watermelon Light Lavender
Ivory Clear Red Sky Blue
Stone Buttermilk Periwinkle
Taupe Buff Purple
Light Peach Light Clear Gold Violet
Warm Pastel Pink Bright Golden Yellow Light Navy
Powder Pink Pastel Yellow Green True Blue
Peach Light Moss Med Blue
Clear Salmon Bright Yellow Green Silver
Coral Blue Green
Gold

Light Spring Palette

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Light Gray Rose Soft teal
Gray Blue Silver Spruce
Med Gray Coral pink Light navy
Pewter Warm pink Lavender
Cocoa Mango Powder blue
Rose brown Deep rose Sky blue
Soft white Watermelon Med blue
Ivory Clear red True blue
Rose beige Buttermilk Cadet blue
Stone Light lemon yellow Lavender
Taupe Mint Amethyst
Gold Pastel blue green Periwinkle
Warm pastel pink Light aqua Deep periwinkle
Powder pink Clear aqua Violet
Clear salmon Blue green Purple
Rose pink Emerald turquoise
Light teal

Light Summer Palette

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Light gray Hot pink Med aqua
Med gray Soft fuchsia Clear aqua
Blue charcoal Deep rose Hot turquoise
Gray blue True red Chinese blue
Charcoal Blue red Sky blue
Pewter Watermelon Lavender
Soft white Raspberry Amethyst
Rose beige Burgundy Violet
Stone Light true green Plum
Taupe Emerald turquoise Purple
Cocoa Teal Periwinkle
Rose brown Soft teal Cadet blue
Icy pink Spruce True blue
Dusty rose Pine Royal blue
Rose pink Light lemon yellow Navy
Orchid Mint Silver

Cool Summer Palette

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Icy gray Fuchsia Emerald turquoise
Light gray Magenta True green
Medium gray Deep rose Emerald green
Charcoal True red Pine
Black Blue red Hot turquoise
Black brown Raspberry Chinese blue
Pure white Cranberry Clear teal
Soft white Burgundy Teal
Stone Mint Med blue
Taupe Icy green Deep periwinkle
Pewter Icy yellow Bright periwinkle
Silver Icy blue True blue
Dusty rose Icy violet Royal blue
Rose pink Icy pink Navy
Shocking pink Lemon yellow Purple
Hot pink Blue green Plum

Cool Winter Palette

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Camel Rust Mustard
Khaki Mahogany Marigold
Gray green Aubergine Gold
Golden brown Buttermilk Turquoise
Coffee brown Buff Emerald turquoise
Dark brown Light clear gold Jade
Ivory Yellow gold Teal
Cream Light moss Forest green
Stone Lime Light true green
Salmon Moss Clear aqua
Salmon pink Olive Light aqua
Coral Taupe Violet
Pumpkin Pewter Deep periwinkle
Terracotta Medium gray Purple
Tomato red Light peach Light navy
Bittersweet Deep Peach Bronze

Warm Autumn Palette

Khaki
Camel Bronze

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Golden Brown Mango Lime
Dark Brown Tomato Red Light Moss
Gold Terracotta Moss
Ivory Marigold Light Aqua
Cream Pumpkin Clear Aqua
Stone Rust Light Teal
Taupe Buttermilk Turquoise
Gray Green Buff Emerald Turquoise
Med Grey Light Clear Gold Jade
Light Peach Light golden yellow Med Blue
Peach Yellow gold Deep Periwinkle
Deep Peach Bright Yellow Green Violet
Light Orange Mint Purple
Clear Salmon Pastel Yellow Green Light Navy
Coral Light True Green Teal

Warm Spring Palette

Mahogany
Dark brown
Rose brown

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Coffee brown Salmon pink Turquoise
Gray green Bittersweet Jade
Charcoal Tomato red Teal
Taupe Watermelon Bronze
Cream Rust Moss
Camel Terracotta Light moss
Khaki Soft white Lime
Pewter Ivory Olive
Med gray Stone Forest green
Light peach Buttermilk Cadet blue
Warm pink Buff Light navy
Deep rose Light lemon yellow Deep periwinkle
Salmon Yellow gold Amethyst
Silver Mint Purple
Gold Emerald turquoise Aubergine

Soft Autumn Palette

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Light Gray Rose Spruce
Med Gray Soft fuchsia Forest green
Gray green Raspberry Soft teal
Pewter Warm pink Teal
Coffee brown Deep rose Light navy
Rose brown Watermelon Grey blue
Soft white Blue red Charcoal
Ivory Burgundy Cadet blue
Rose beige Buttermilk Sky blue
Stone Light lemon yellow Periwinkle
Taupe Mint Deep periwinkle
Cocoa Pastel blue green Amethyst
Powder pink Blue green Purple
Dusty rose Emerald turquoise Med blue
Orchid pink Turquoise Silver
Rose pink Jade Gold

Soft Summer Palette

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Navy Coral True Green
Light Gray Coral Pink Emerald Green
Med. Gray Warm Pink Forest Green
Charcoal Mango Olive
Black Deep Rose Light Teal
Black Brown Hot Pink Clear Teal
Soft White Clear red Chinese Blue
Ivory True Red Clear Aqua
Stone Light Clear gold Hot Turquoise
Taupe Lemon Yellow Violet
Pewter Bright Golden Yellow Purple
Silver Mint Periwinkle
Icy Blue Pastel Yellow Green Deep Periwinkle
Icy Violet Gold Bright Periwinkle
Warm Pastel Pink Emerald Turquoise Med Blue
Clear Salmon Kelly Green True Blue

Clear Spring Palette

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Black Mango Gold
Light gray Clear red Shocking pink
Med gray Emerald green Hot pink
Charcoal Pine Hot turquoise
Black brown True red Chinese blue
Pewter Raspberry Clear teal
Soft white Silver Emerald turquoise
Icy yellow Fuchsia True green
Icy gray Magenta Bright periwinkle
Stone Cranberry Purple
Taupe Burgundy True blue
Icy blue Aubergine Med blue
Icy violet Periwinkle Royal blue
Icy pink Violet Navy
Deep rose Blue red

Clear Winter Palette

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For more information about the 12- & 16-Season
Color System, to have a professional Virtual
Color Analysis and to purchase men or women’s
deluxe color swatches for each of the seasons,
or to find high-quality color coded makeup for
your season

visit:

www.PrettyYourWorld.com

About the author:

Lora Alexander is a Certified Color Analyst, licensed Esthetician,


Make-Up Artist, and Illustrator.

She owns www.PrettyYourWorld.com THE online resource for all


things related to the 12- & 16-Season Color Theory. Lora does
Virtual Color Analysis via her website, as well as 1x1 Color Analysis
in the Northern Illinois area.

For a professional color analysis or for information about her


fashion art, contact her at Lora@PrettyYourWorld.com

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